Strings of Fate
by rogueriddler
Summary: Fate has a funny way of connecting people in Ikebukuro. Akiba, Kyoko. On the outside, she lives a peaceful life. How will the mysterious city of Ikebukuro link her to those she never imagined? Will the underbelly of the city swallow her up, like some? Or will she come out like all the rest who fall in line as abiding citizens?
1. Chapter 1: Ikebukuro

Chapter 1: Ikebukoro

"Akiba, Kyoko" the petite brunette stood from her seat and bowed to her new teacher. "Hello, my name is Akiba, Kyoko. I hope to get along with everyone and make some friends." She sat down, a few murmers echoed in the otherwise quiet classroom.

The teacher continued calling off students and allowed them to introduce themselves.

This was Kyoko's first year in high school. She glanced around the room and smiled at a few of her friends whom she went to middle school with and already knew pretty well. Her best friend, Yumi was called on and she introduced herself.

"Hatsu, Yumi here!" She said proudly after bowing. "Don't flirt with me too much, boys. I already have a boyfriend!~" she giggled to herself, with her fingertips covering her mouth. She sat down with a curt nod to Kyoko, who rolled her eyes teasingly.

The teacher shook his head, and some girls snickered.

After her best friend, a boy who stuck out like a sore thumb stood up when his name was called.

"Heiwajima, Shizuo"  
He stood up and didn't say anything, he bowed and then sat back down. A few more murmers were heard, but the unnatural blonde didn't raise his head, instead choosing to look down at his notebook.

Kyoko didn't pay too much attention to it. After the rest of the class was introduced, the teacher then asked if anyone would like to volunteer to be the class reps. The brunette thought about it for a moment, wondering if she'd have the time to stay after school sometimes.

Then, she raised her hand.  
"I would like to be the class rep." She stood from her seat again and walked to the front of the classroom, then asking, "Who else would like to be a class representative with me?"

Some boys looked between each other, before one of them raised their hand. "I'll accompany you." Kyoko looked to the owner of the voice, to see a boy with glasses and brown hair. "Kishitani, Shinra" she said, after looking at the roster. The teacher noted the two students in his ledger and asked them to take their seats.

Then, he started the lesson for the day.

By the time lunch rolled around, both Kyoko and Yumi seemed to slump back in their seats. Some students dispersed, leaving the classroom about half full. The two girls put some desks together and pulled out their homemade lunches. Yumi stretched her arms, "Whew, the first day is always the longest and hardest." They both giggled to themselves and started eating.

Kyoko happened to glance out the window after a while, and noticed a fight seemed to be taking place. She noticed the blonde from her class right away. She poked Yumi, signaling for her to look as she had food in her mouth.

Yumi looked out the window, her food almost falling out of her mouth. "Ish thah the kid from our class!?" She said, swallowing her food.

"It looks like it, he has the same bleached blonde hair." Kyoko resumed eating, occasionally looking outside. Then, she saw him lift a whole bleacher, ripping it from the ground to slam it into a few thug-looking students. Her mouth gaped open for a moment, before she shook her head and closed up her lunch "there's no way he's that strong.. There's gotta be some kind of trick."

Yumi finished her food, "Yeah right. I've heard from a kid that grew up with him that he's actually crazy strong."

Kyoko put her lunch away and cleaned up her mess. Yumi followed suit and a few moments later, their class started to file back into the room and took their seats. Yumi pulled the desk back to its original place and went back to her seat.

When Heiwajima walked back in, she took note of his scratches and fresh bruises. He seemed to be clutching just his arm though. She turned back to her notes before he could notice her staring.

The day droned on, the lessons were over, the students went home and the new class reps stayed behind for a brief meeting.

After the meeting, Kyoko walked out of the school building after switching her shoes. The brunette was surprised to see the same blonde outside the school, angrily glaring at a raven haired boy in a black middle school uniform.

Kyoko started; "Kishitani-" he ran ahead before she could be heard, and grabbed Izaya's shoulder. "Shizuo, this is my friend, Orihara, Izaya."

Moments later, the blonde and raven haired boy were fighting with each other. Shizuo had uprooted another bleacher set, and Kyoko couldn't find any explanation.  
He visibly paled for a moment, a soft crunch being heard.

She ran over and yelled at Shinra. "We shouldn't be letting them fight! We're class reps!"

The blonde swung the metal seats toward the middle schooler, who somehow dodged with ease. Almost like he was weightless.

"Hey! Heiwajima-san! You shouldn't be-"

The blonde only turned to see who was trying to tell him what to do, just about to hit the petite student where she stood, wide eyed.

Luckily, the black haired middle schooler jumped in front of her and quickly swooped her up and moved her from the danger.

"Shizu-chan. You can't even control yourself enough from hitting this pretty little class rep. You really are a _monster."_  
The blonde didn't seem to like this and went to throw the bleachers at him, until he realized Izaya was still holding Kyoko.

"Hmph! Hiding behind someone else,"

Izaya let her go, holding up his hands in defense "I'm doing no such thing."  
"But, I do bid you farewell." And with that, he dashed away, much to Shizuo's dismay.

Kyoko stood there, shell shocked for a moment before Shizuo's voice broke her temporary paralysis. "Sorry.." She looked up at him, his voice deep and gruff. "Nn-No worries... Are you alright?" She asked, looking at his wounds.

He didn't even seem to notice until he looked down. "I can patch you up, if you wouldn't mind" she said.

The blonde shook his head, "this is nothing. I'll be fine. Thanks."

Kyoko only nodded, not wanting to touch a nerve if she pressed the issue any further.

"Alright, well, I'll be heading home now.." She said, bowing swiftly to say goodbye.

As the brunette walked around the city, she couldn't help but enjoy the lights, smells, and sounds. She wasn't really paying attention to what was going on around her, so she didn't really notice a rider clad in black, whizz past her on the street.  
Her walk home was rather peaceful, and she eventually reached the house with her family name on the mailbox.

When she unlocked the front door and stepped inside, she took her shoes off and put her slippers on. "I'm home!~" she called out.

Her mother walked out of the living room and smiled at her, "I didn't know you would be staying so late. We ended up having dinner without you, sweetie."

"Sorry, I volunteered to be a class rep, so we had to stay back for a short meeting. Ill try to let you know when we have them" Kyoko smiled "Besides, I'm not hungry. I'll just head upstairs and start my homework."

Her mother smiled and nodded, quietly returning to her husband to watch their favorite show. Kyoko didn't know much about it, only that it was some kind of game show.

She ascended the stairs and waved to her older brother in his room, her steps catching his attention. He nodded to her, and returned his gaze to his homework. He was in college, and attending some prestigious university so he could study abroad someday. He wants to be a pediatrician.

As she entered her rather plain room, she put her bag on its hook and took out her homework. Rather than start on it right away, she pulled out her cellphone and chatted with some friends through email. Everyone started school, same as her and we're pretty busy, so not long after, she said goodnight and began on her homework.

Meanwhile, in Ikebukuro, Shinra and Shizuo were also walking home.

"That girl from our class, Akiba-chan seems really nice." Shinra said, looking for any change in emotion in his blonde companion.

"She's alright... She didn't seem all that afraid of me though.." He grumbled to himself. _"She actually seemed kinda happy..." _he thought.

Shinra smiled "I'm glad you caught that too."

A few weeks had gone by, and school was starting to become easier. It was almost the same routine everyday.

Occasionally, Kyoko would witness Shizuo Heiwajima get into another fight, and if she was present, she'd almost always offer to tend to his injuries. Sometimes he'd come back to school with a cast or a sling. This intrigued Kyoko very much.

Usually he would say no when she offered to apply her knowledge of first aid, and go about his business. However, Izaya slashed him across the chest after school; leaving a pretty bad gash. Today, he allowed her to patch him up. Shinra, was too busy gushing over a rider clad in black.

She ushered him to follow her to the nurses office. The nurse already long gone, as was everyone else. "Take a seat while I find the things I need," she ordered softly.

Shizuo didn't argue and sat down on one of the beds in the office. Kyoko dug around for a moment until she found everything she needed. She returned to the blonde and asked him to remove whatever was left of his shirt. To which, he complied silently and looked anywhere but at her.

Kyoko took notice of this, but paid no mind to it. She cleaned his wound, also noting he barely flinched at anything. After she cleaned his wound, she dressed it with some large gauze pads, and then went to wrap it.

She stepped back, and cutely raised her arms above her head. Shizuo cocked an eyebrow at this, then put two and two together. He raised his arms and Kyoko wrapped the dressing around him, having to basically hug him as she did so.  
She couldn't help but blush, his skin was surprisingly soft. When she pulled away, she handed him back his shirt and bowed to him. "Thank you for allowing me to care for you, Heiwajima-kun~"

Shizuo was taken aback by the familiar tone, but didn't mind it. "Just call me Shizuo," he attempted to smile at her. "What's your name?" He asked.

She seemed a little surprised, "I'm your class rep and you don't know my name?" She feigned mock hurt before extending her hand to him, "Kyoko, just call me Kyoko,"

He took her hand, gently shaking it before letting go. "Thanks for patching me up, Kyoko-chan."

She smiled, feeling a little blush creep up her cheeks. "Its not a problem, Shizuo." Kyoko put the supplies away and her and the blonde left the room. They walked the empty halls in silence, then changed their shoes and left the building. "It's pretty late, do you want me to walk you home?"

Kyoko thought for a moment, "Sure," She started in the direction she would normally take home, with the blonde in tow. The walk was fairly silent, except for the sounds of the beautiful city around them. Shizuo broke the silence every now and again with a question or two, mostly asking about her knowledge of the city.

Kyoko would respond, and that was their journey. It was pretty awkward to say the least, but the two enjoyed each others company. When the brunette stopped near her gate, she looked up at her classmate. "Well, this is my house. Thank you for walking me home, Shizuo," she bowed to him and offered a kind smile.

He returned with a half smile and shrugged "It was fun, I'll see ya around,"

"See ya, I hope you get home safe too." Kyoko said, before watching the blonde start to walk away.

When she got inside, her mother gushingly teased, "Who was that, Kyoko?~" Her father shook his head, knowing his daughter knew better before she even opened her mouth. "He's a classmate of mine that offered to walk me home since I stayed so late for a meeting."

Meanwhile, Shizuo couldn't help but appreciate the fact that this girl cared enough to say she hoped he got home safe. He shook his head free of the thoughts, his conscious getting the better of him. _"There's no way. She was probably just being nice because she's afraid of you."_

As weeks turned into months, before anyone knew it, 2 and a half years had gone by. All in their third and final year at Raira, Kyoko and Yumi were still best friends. She had even gotten to know Shizuo a little. She occasionally patched him up, and he sometimes walked her home.

Things were normal, to say the least. Kyoko had been doing great in all of her classes, and remained a class rep just about every year.  
Her relationship with Shizuo was neutral, they never really ventured off into anything more than walks home and first-aid.

Shinra and Izaya also knew Kyoko very well, and she didnt really like Izaya. After some mild curiosity, she got to meet Celty, who Shinra talked highly of all the time. Kyoko was astonished by her beauty, and often praised her.

She knew that these people were all much different than what her parents would assume to be good friends for her.

A sometimes pervy Kishitani, a Dulahan with amazing power, a boy with unparalleled strength, a devious raven haired boy who stuck his nose where it didn't belong.

The young brunette smiled to herself upon this realization. She couldnt be happier with these new friends of hers.

"Hello. Earth to Kyoko!" Yumi waved her hand in front of her face, "Huh? Sorry."  
The brunette apologized. Yumi laughed and nudged her arm. "It's time to go home, silly,"

Kyoko walked out of the building, following Yumi. "Uh, I have to stop at the store and pick some things up for my computer. So, you go on without me. I'll see you on Monday," Yumi nodded and waved goodbye to her childhood friend. "Okay. Catch ya later."

Kyoko had found the store she was looking for and walked out after paying. It was dark out; she knew she should hurry home.

It was then, that three men decided she was going to be their next victim. The city was bustling, but not a single person knew they had snatched her into the darkness and cornered her in an alleyway... Kyoko couldn't help but laugh at them, unafraid of these lowlife jerks. They looked at her funny.  
"Why ain't she scared? This chick is freaky."  
Another one of them chimed in, "Oh well, this'll be fun."

They reached for her long brunette hair, but she side stepped him and kneed him in the groin, quickly dodging the punch aimed at her face from the other guy. She took a few steps back, watching as the two collected themselves. She waited to see if the third would strike her. They all charged her at once, and she dodged them all. When they fell to the floor, she ran out of the alley, and headed home.

When she finally got home, her worried mother asked if she was alright. She smiled to her and told her she had a meeting and stopped at the store on her way home. After looking over her daughter, she hugged her and allowed her to go to her room.

Once upstairs, the brunette set up her new equipment and logged on to her computer. She smiled as she read her new emails, quickly attaching some files and her response before sending them out. Kyoko had a part of her life that nobody knew about. She leaned back in her chair a little and looked at the screen with glee as she wondered how her meddling would play out.

She knew a lot about the underground world of Ikebukuro, all because of her computer. She came across a hacker by the alias of Nakura, who she had an idea as to who it could be, and she joined some chat rooms, where she talked with people from all over the world.  
Kyoko was content with her life. She liked having this underbelly at her fingertips.

Kyoko chatted with some people who claimed to live in Japan. One of them, privately messaged her, their name was Reo online.

Kyoko chatted for a bit before logging off. She decided to do her homework tomorrow and went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2: New Beginnings

By the time Graduation came around, Kyoko was more than thrilled to start the next chapter in her life. She would be attending one of Japan's prestigious universities, where she would study to become a Psychologist. She wanted to be able to help people, and learn more about why people did the things they did. The human mind intrigued her.

Unlike a certain black haired miscreant she knew, she didn't want to poke her nose where it didn't belong, except on a few occasions.

Kyoko was particularly excited to be moving away from home for the first time. Unlike her older brother, she wanted to be out on her own, and live closer to her University. It's quite expensive, but with saving and the money she made online, she didn't think it would be a big issue. Her father even offered to pay for her expenses and living arrangements. Her family was fairly wealthy because of what her father was involved in, but despite this, she told him she could handle it.

Her parents were very nervous about letting her go off on her own, but they didn't say much. They knew that Kyoko would ask if she needed help, or move back home if she needed to. They were proud of their children, and didn't see why they should keep their beloved Kyoko sheltered at the tender age of 18.

After they all graduated, Yumi and Kyoko tried to make plans to keep as close and connected as possible. They were going to different universities, but they still planned to see each other as often as they could.

"I can't believe it, Kyoko. We're finally adults.. Who would have thought that just a few years ago, we were still running around at the park, playing tag," she giggled.

The two girls were at Yumi's house. She was packing her stuff for her dorm, and reminiscing with her best friend. "Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday. It is kind of crazy when I think about it." They had been hanging out and packing all day, and they were almost done. Kyoko filled another box and sealed it with some tape. "Your room is so barren now," she laughed a little.

"Kyoko-chan, your mother is here to pick you up!" Yumi's mother called up the stairs. "Wow, its already 9?" She glanced at the clock on her phone. "I gotta get up early to look at apartments with my mom. I'll see you soon, okay?" The brunette stood, and hugged her friend goodbye. "Good luck, and send pictures!" She gushed. "I will."

They parted and Kyoko went downstairs. she bowed to Yumi's mom and slipped on her shoes. The wind blew as she exited the house and walked down the path to her moms car, the warm air reminding her of long nights outside with Yumi, catching bugs. She smiled and got in the car. The drive home was silent, and when she got home, she went straight to bed.

The following morning, her and her mother went out to look at some apartments near the university. The first few were within walking or biking distance, and the most expensive. They were pretty lavish for her taste, but her mother loved them. She took pictures of everything and sent them to Yumi.

The next apartment was thirty minutes from the university by foot, and about ten to fifteen by train. This one was pretty upscale for her, but had a lot that she liked. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living room. The kitchen was separate from the living area and the dining room. It had an upscale touch to a basic and old school layout.

"Mom, I really like this one," she turned to the realtor, "what else do we need to see today?" The woman turned to her, "just one more. Its a more dorm like apartment, a loft space feel." She answered, looking up from her notes. "I think I like this one best," Kyoko said, snapping another picture.

Kyokos mom smiled at this and her and the realtor sat down to start filling out the paperwork. Because of her father, she would get the apartment today, no questions asked.

The brunette sat beside her mother and filled some things out, then pulled out her wallet and paid the deposit and first months rent in cash. The Realtor said nothing about it, only speaking about the lease and other expenses.

Kyoko thought back to the deal she made with her dad..

_"If you're so keen on paying for your own expenses, let's make a deal."_

_Kyoko nodded and waited for his proposal, "If you pay the rent, and always on time, I'll cover the utilities and send you an allowance once a month so you can spoil yourself a little. Or maybe go out with your friends."_

_She liked the idea, so she agreed and reached across the table between them to shake on it. "Its a deal." Her father chuckled and took her hand, giving it a firm shake._

The woman across from her pulled her from her thoughts, asking for a final signature and the keys were hers. She signed her name on the lease and was handed a copy, along with two keys to the apartment. Kyoko was very excited to move in, but even more ecstatic to decorate her little abode.

She quickly pulled out her phone to call Yumi, but accidentally called someone else without realizing. When she heard them pick up, she didn't hold back. "Yumi! I got my own place! Its pretty close to the university and its gorgeous! I can't wait to decorate it!" She mused, awaiting her best friends equal excitement.

Much to her dismay, a gruff voice sounded from the other side, which made her check the caller ID. To her embarrassment, it was Shizuo who she called.

"Um, Kyoko-chan, you dialed the wrong number," unbeknownst to the blushing brunette, the unnatural blonde was blushing on the other end. His kid brother shooting him questioning glances.

"I'm so s-sorry!" was all she could muster out. Her face now resembling a tomato. She was stiff as a board, afraid to even move.

"It's alright. That's really cool that you got your own place. Maybe you'll have to invite all of your friends over for some hot pot or something." he tried to diffuse the situation, hoping not to sound like an idiot.

Kyoko gushed at the idea of Shizuo being so considerate, his cold self usually being the only side people see. "Y-Yeah, that would be really nice, that way we can all hang out one last time before we all go our separate ways." Kyoko twirled a strand on her long wavy hair nervously. "Well, I'm sorry again for accidentally calling you. I hope I didn't bother you."

Shizuo smiled at the phone, "Like I said, its alright. I'll catch ya later."

Kyoko could almost hear the smile in his tone.

"Bye" they both said in unison before hanging up. Kyoko felt like she was set ablaze from how hot her cheeks were.

"In all your eighteen years of life, I've never seen you so flustered, Kyoko. Who was that?~"

The brunette nearly jumped out of her skin, almost forgetting her mother was there.

"A friend from school, his name is Shizuo," she didn't add his last name, fearing her mother or father would find out and lecture her or something of the sort.

"Ooh, a boy?~" she teased her daughter, who tried to hide her face in her hands. "It's not like that, mom," she whined.  
Her mother laughed and gestured for her daughter. "Come on,we need to start moving you in. School starts in a week."

All day, her mom, dad and brother were helping her move into her apartment. Yumi was busy moving her own stuff into her dorm, so she said she'd stop by tomorrow.  
By the time dinner rolled around, they were done bringing everything in and unpacking it.

Her mother decided to buy some ingredients for dinner, and Kyoko helped. So, they all sat around her new table for a meal together as a family. Once dinner was had, and everyone said goodbye, her family left Kyoko in her new place for the night. At first it was a little weird, but she liked the feeling as it settled in. She went to bed that night with a small smile on her face.

The next morning, she woke up early enough to shower and get ready before heading out to explore the neighborhood around her.

She found a lovely little cafe where she could stop and get some coffee in the morning. It even had an upstairs area to study or read if you liked. There were plenty of convenience stores around, and a decent shop to buy food. Everything was within walking distance, and she loved that. As she walked around, she spotted a familiar blonde in the crowd. She ran over to catch him before he got too far. He did have crazy long legs compared to the petite stature the brunette possessed.

"Shizuo!" She called, catching his attention. He turned and offered a small smile as she approached him. "Hey, Kyoko-chan," she smiled up at him and glanced between him and the smaller guy next to him. "This is my kid brother, Kasuka." Kasuka bowed to Kyoko, who mirrored him. "Its a pleasure to meet you, Kasuka-kun, my name is Akiba, Kyoko," she smiled.

"What are you up to today?" Shizuo asked. Kyoko blushed a little, recalling what happened yesterday. "Well, I recently moved nearby..." She trailed off. "I was just exploring the neighborhood."

Shizuo took note of her rosy cheeks and shoved his hands in his pockets. "What about you two?" She asked, trying to shift the focus away from her. "We were just out and about. We were gonna grab something to eat on the way home."

Kyoko looked down at her feet "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you. It was nice to see you. I guess I'll see you around, Shizuo." She turned to walk away, and Kasuka nudged his brother, silently telling him to invite her along. He bit his lip in frustration before reaching out for the brunettes arm. Before he could reach her, a knife collided with his forearm. He watched her slender figure disappear in the crowd.

"My, my, Shizu-chan. You can't seem to keep your grimy little paws to yourself." Izaya chuckled, making his appearance known. Shizuo growled and ripped the knife out of his arm, then, reached for the closest thing he could find, which was a lamp post. He tore it from the ground as easy as plucking a flower and waved it around.

"You filthy fucking flea!" He roared, the crowd now circling the two. Izaya smirked and continued to taunt the blonde. "She's just an innocent young woman, Shizu-chan. Why try and taint her?"

Shizuo swung the pole towards Izaya, missing him by a hair when he dodged effortlessly. Kasuka tried to calm his brother down, Kyoko having heard the commotion, turned around to see an all too familiar sight. Izaya and Shizuo were fighting.

She ran back that way, and pushed through the crowd as onlookers snapped pictures and took videos.

"Shizuo! Izaya! Stop!" She ran in between the two before either of them could lunge for the other. "Kyoko-chan! What a lovely surprise!" Shizuo kept his glare on the raven haired punk as he approached Kyoko.

He slung an arm around her small shoulders, fingering the material of her sweater. "Sweet little Kyoko, may I ask you a question?" His words were directed at her, but the whole time his eyes were on Shizuo.

She nodded her head, the crowd dissipating.  
Izaya noticed how the blonde would tense up even more whenever he touched Kyoko. So, he decided to test a theory.

"Have you ever been kissed?" He asked, watching as the blondes eye twitched at this.

Kyoko blushed like mad and shook her head no. Izaya spun the petite girl around, and leaned in to plant a kiss on her lips, when she suddenly leaned to the side and punched him hard in the gut.

The raven haired boy didn't expect this at all, and coughed to recover.

Shizuo and Kasuka stood there, silently. The blonde couldn't help but smirk a little at this. He had no idea she could handle herself.

When Izaya regained his composure, he stood up straight, clutching his stomach. He too smirked. He actually got a little excited, and started chuckling. "Well, little Kyoko-chan.. You have surprised me,"

Kyoko waited to see if he would do anything else, but he didn't.  
He simply cast the girl and unsettling look and disappeared into the crowd.

Shizuo was too amazed to care that he got away. Instead, he walked over to Kyoko and pat her head. "That was pretty cool, Kyoko-chan,"

"Thanks, Shizuo," the girl blushed "I try to avoid confrontation or violence.. But sometimes I can't help it." she got a little lost in her thoughts. Kasuka snapped her out of them.  
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Akiba."

Kyoko bowed and smiled at the pair, "The pleasure was all mine, you two. I have to do some shopping, so I'll see you around?"

Shizuo nodded and turned to walk away with his brother in tow.  
"She's cute," he mumbled. Shizuo sighed, and tried to keep from getting irritated with Kasuka.

Kyoko headed to a few shops and picked up a few things that she thought would make her home feel, well, homey. When she got home, she set the things down and decided to set up her computer. She hasn't been on it in a few days and wanted to see what was going on in the city she adored.

A little while later, Yumi stopped by with some snacks. The two girls planned to watch movies all night and gossip about what's to come.  
While settled on the couch watching a horror movie, they were under some blankets, munching on snacks when there was a loud knock on the door.

Both girls jumped, Yumi actually squealing. Kyoko looked over at the clock, noticing it was only 8 p.m.

Her parents didn't say they were coming over. "Did you invite people over?" Kyoko asked. Another loud knock rang out through the apartment. Yumi shook her head, they both got up, clad in their jammies and walked to the door. Kyoko pushed a button and a screen lit up, showing who was outside.

"I don't know them..." Kyoko whispered. She pushed another button for the intercom, "Hello, um. I think you have the wrong apartment."

The two males looked at each other, "Your name plate says Akiba. We have the right apartment. If you open the door, we'll tell ya more about ourselves."

Kyoko let go of the button and stepped away, making sure all the locks were in place.

"Should we call the police?" Yumi asked, looking between the door and Kyoko. She shook her head, "This could have something to do with my dad.. But I'm not sure."

Yumi knew all to well what she meant. "How would they know where you lived? The only way they'd know is if you dad wanted them to... He'd probably have guys watching over your place.. They'd know who they were."

Kyoko nodded, agreeing with her friend.  
_She's right, they look like they're around my age. Give or take a few years._ _It is possible if my dad has men posted around, they would know if anyone tried to get by... They probably just thought they were some friends of mine..._

"I'm going to call someone.." Kyoko said, just as they continued to knock. "I think he lives nearby."

"Okay, I'm going to go sit back down." Yumi replied, walking back to the living room.

Kyoko pulled out her phone and looked through her contacts.

The dial tone was all Kyoko could hear, even as the men tried to get a response. _Please pick up... I don't know who else to call.._

When the gruff voice answered the phone, Kyoko mentally cheered. "Hey Shizuo, I'm really sorry to call so late, but there's these guys at my door and they won't stop knocking and asking me to open the door. Do you think-" before she could ask, she was cut off "I'll be over there in five. Don't open the door until you hear just me on the other side. What's your address?"

She relayed to him what he needed to know.  
After that, the call ended and Kyoko went back to Yumi, and they huddled up on the couch together. A bright flash of light illuminated the otherwise dark room. The giant window that overlooked the city collected a few droplets of water, before the grey sky opened up and it started to rain. Momentarily distracted by the rain, Yumi tugged her back to reality, up and to the door.

The brunette turned the camera on, noticing that Shizuo had showed up.  
He asked the guys what they wanted, to which they responded, "none of your business, asshole."

This made Shizuo visibly angry. He didn't ask anything else before picking them up by the collars and throwing them down the stairs.

"Don't you ever come back here, or I'll kill ya!"

Kyoko unlocked and opened the door,peering out at Shizuo. "Are they gone?" She asked, Yumi peering over her shoulder before stepping away quietly to go back into the living room.

"Yeah, and if they come back, just call me," The blonde rubbed the back of his head and turned away, looking over the railing.

Kyoko opened the door all the way, revealing her full figure, "Thank you Shizuo, I really appreciate you coming out this late to help me. D-Do you have to be back right away? I-I'd like to thank you,"

Shizuo turned to look at her, "You really don't have to-"

She cut him off mid sentence, "I want to,"  
the brunette grabbed Shizuo's arm and pulled him inside. "I'll make you something. I have plenty of leftovers. Do you like curry?" She asked, shutting the door behind him. She continued to pull him into the house until she was in the dining area, ushering him to sit down.

When he did, she smiled happily and told him to wait there while she fixed him a plate. She went into the kitchen and took the food from the fridge and started heating it up on the stove. Once she was done, she put it all on the plate and scooped out the fresh rice she made, onto the plate. She then set everything on a tray and walked out to deliver the meal to the blonde.

His eyes widened at the amount of food she brought him, and couldn't help but smile when he took note of how cute she looked in her pajamas.

Clad in a pair of white silk shorts and matching top, the brunette set the tray down and placed the food before him. She pulled out a chair and sat across from him, "I hope it tastes alright," she mused, blushing a little. She couldn't help but imagine that one day she'll be serving her husband food like this. Kyoko looked up at Shizuo, who seemed to be enjoying the food thoroughly. "It's really good, thank you Kyoko-chan."

Yumi peeked over the couch, eyeing the pair. She remained silent.

Once the blonde was finished, he put his chopsticks down and thanked Kyoko for the meal. "It was delicious, but I should be going now." the young man stood from his chair, as did the young woman. Together, they walked to the door.

Kyoko opened the door and allowed Shizuo to step out, he said goodbye and went to walk away. Kyoko reached for his sleeve, "Shizuo wait," he turned to look at her and was met with soft, warm lips on his cheek. "Thank you,"


	3. Chapter 3: Nothing but a Fleeting Memory

Kyoko had begun her classes and things seemed to be normal again. Only, she didn't see Yumi as much as she used to. Her classes were going well, and she seemed to be home more often than not. She spent her time mostly doing homework, studying or being online.

One night, after stopping to get some groceries, she stepped outside and glanced down at her phone. She got a text from one of her clients, asking her to stop by and hand deliver the intel they required. She thought this was odd, seeing as she tried to remain anonymous. Nonetheless, this was her highest paying and regular client. So she responded and received an address in return. It was somewhat nearby, so she started off in that direction and let them know she would be there soon.

They wanted to meet at a cafe, so, when she got there she sat down in a corner. She went to pull out her cell phone when a hand covered the screen, she looked up and met a pair of rusty brown eyes. "Izaya?" She stood from her chair and smiled a little. "It feels like it's been forever," she said half heartedly. Izaya feined a smile and sat across from where she sat. Kyoko sat down and looked around for anyone who seemed to be her client. "I am your client, Kyoko-chan" her eyes went wide and she looked back at him, trying to regain her composure. "I am Chrome, your client." He said.

Kyoko shook her head, then dug into her bag and pulled out her mini file book. She flipped through the pages and pulled the files Izaya needed. When she slid them over, he slid over a small envelope, they traded glances before picking up their items. Kyoko counted the money, confirming it and then standing from her chair after putting everything away. She didn't say anything, just before she could completely leave, Izaya grabbed her wrist.

"You know, Kyoko..." He trailed off, looking up at the brunette. "Your life isn't as secret as you think.."

She pulled her hand away, then walked away. When she got home a little while later, she prepared dinner for herself and cleaned up after eating. When she was done, she started on her homework. The brunette couldn't help but start to wonder about what Izaya had said to her, among other things. She was still processing the new information when she was pulled from her thoughts by a soft nudge to her knee.

The brunette looked down at the kitten before her and pet her on the head. "I'm sorry, Momo." She laughed. "I have homework to do, pretty kitty," the kitten meowed and nuzzled up against her, getting comfortable before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

When she finished her homework, she moved her kitten to her bed and put her things away. She glanced at her clock and sighed. It was quarter past midnight and she had to be up in about 6 hours for class. She made sure her door was locked and the lights were off before climbing into bed and passing out a few minutes later.

The next morning Kyoko got up to her alarm and rubbed her eyes. Her kitten happily perched on her chest. She smiled and pet her head before getting out of bed and making it.

As she got ready for the day, she made sure to feed Momo, clean and get ready for class. She dressed fairly warm for the autumn weather. Clad in a fitted knit dress, black panty hose, and a pea coat; she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. She sat down and slipped on her knee high black boots and left, locking the door behind her.

Her morning routine was pretty simple after that, she stopped for some coffee and a small breakfast and went on walking to the school.

Her day was simple as well, usually she would go to class and take notes, then to the lounge or library in between classes to study or do homework. Today, however was a little different.

When she walked into the library, she noticed a familiar bleached blonde talking to a student, who seemed to be cowering in his chair. Shizuo seemed to be with a brunette man with dreaded hair. Shizuo was even wearing a bartender get up.

She stood by and watched for a moment, just as Shizuo yanked the guy right out of his seat and growled something to him. The guy nodded profusely and was set back down. The guy accompanying Shizuo shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets before motioning to leave with his head.

Kyoko decided to walk over and say hello before they left. She couldn't help it, after all. She was so intrigued by his inhuman strength.

"Hi, Shizuo," she bowed to him and his companion "I'm glad I ran into you here. Are you here for school?" Shizuo looked the petite brunette up and down before answering her, "I'm here for business, what about you?" He asked, his dreaded companion looking between the two curiously.

"I go to school here," she smiled up at him, then glanced down at her watch. "I have about 45 minutes until my next class. Do you mind if I buy you all some coffee?" She asked, Shizuo and Tom looked between each other, then shook their heads no.

The brunette clapped her hands together cheerfully, "good, I'll be right back." She left the boys and quickly went to the small coffee shop just outside the library.

Once she was out of earshot, Tom smirked at Shizuo. "I think she really likes you," Shizuo remained silent, trying to focus on the smell that lingered when she left. He couldnt quite put his finger on it, but he enjoyed the scent.

"Probably not.. She's just that nice," he mumbled back. Just as she returned with three cups of coffee. They all sat down and Kyoko passed the cups. The silence at their little table was a little awkward, but it soon passed.

"Shizuo, what is your job? It seems very interesting," Kyoko asked, looking like a child who just asked for candy. "Tom and I are debt collectors..." he trailed off like it was nothing interesting. Tom didn't say anything, instead opting for a sip of coffee.

Kyoko's eyes lit up and she leaned over the table a little closer, "That sounds fun!" she mused, "it's the perfect job for you," she smiled widely. "You're so _strong..._ It must be heaven, being able to use your amazing strength.. And you've got the look down too!~"

Tom bit back a chuckle, Shizuo silently sipped his drink. It was taking every fiber of his being not to react embarrassed. His body wasn't listening to him, and he didn't like It.

A faint pink dusted his cheeks, and Kyoko noticed. The petite brunette simply couldn't hold back. She loved Shizuo's abnormal ability. It's what made her want to become a doctor.

Unbeknownst to the trio, a raven haired informant was watching from a short distance away. He knew very little of Kyoko. Ever since the incident, He's been very curious about the brunette. Not much was known about her or her brother despite the infinite sources the man has. He was only able to get common knowledge. It was as if his children were ghosts to the system.

He didn't like this, given his career and personality. He liked knowing all that he could. So, he had to do his own research. If that meant some light stalking, then so be it.

Kyoko finished her drink, and looked at her watch again. "Oh, I have to get to class," she stood up and threw her empty drink away. Shizuo and Tom also stood up, following suit.

Shizuo and Tom thanked her for the coffee and waved bye as she walked away.

The blonde and Tom left the university and carried on with their day, collecting debt and occasionally stopping for cigarette breaks. Near the end of the day, they were outside smoking when Tom asked about Kyoko. Shizuo knew it was coming, and he tried, but to no avail, to keep the questions to a minimum.

"So, how do you know each other?" He asked. Shizuo took a drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke out. "We went to Raira together. She sometimes patched me up when I fought."

The blonde wasn't against talking about the brunette, but he didn't want to indulge his senior anymore. He always tried to keep his personal life separate from his work life.

Tom shook his head. "There's something about that girl.. She had this gleam in her eye when she saw you," he chuckled "I think she likes you."

Shizuo scoffed, "I don't think so." He sighed and died the cigarette out before shoving his hands back into his pockets.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was leaving the university when she was stopped by the gates by a raven haired troll.

She looked up at him, he had essentially pinned her to the wall, his hands on either side of her head.

"Hello, Kyoko-chan. Did you have a wonderful day at school?" He cooed. Kyoko pushed him back a little before answering, "Can I help you, Orihara-san?"

A few people passing by looked at the pair, whispering among themselves. Izaya grinned, "As a matter of fact, you can," before Kyoko could respond, Izaya continued speaking "I want you to stay away from Shizuo Heiwajima and work for me."

Kyoko rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Why would I work for you?" She chose to ignore the bit about Shizuo. "I know who you are, and who your family is. I don't think you want that information to be made public, do you?" he snickered and took a step back, "after all, why would they continue to let you attend this prestigious academy if your fathers business was made a public ordeal. Even if you are paying them under the table, they still wouldn't allow you to come here."

Kyoko bit her lip, "why do you want me to stay away from Shizuo?"

Izaya smiled mischievously. "Personal reasons. I can't have him interfering with my work if you're working for me, now can I?"

Kyoko didnt want to work for him.. And she certainly didnt want to stay away from Shizuo.. But she couldn't let her fathers true job and lifestyle be made public.

Sure, the Yakuza are more powerful than Izaya.. But once it was made public, even if people didn't believe it, there's no way they'd look at her or her family the same again.

She sighed and held out her hand to Izaya, "I guess I have no choice then,"

Izaya's grin widened and he threw his arm around her shoulder. Kyoko wasn't happy, and she made it known to the informant.

"Now then, we need to get you a few things and I'll show you where you'll be working."

The informant led her around town, bought her a cell phone for work only, a laptop and made a spare key. It was getting late and he still needed to take her to Shinjuku. They got on the train and basked in each others silence until they got to Shinjuku.

Once off the train, he walked a short distance with the brunette tailing behind him. He stopped and pointed to a tall upscale building. "This is my building, I'll show you the penthouse."

Kyoko sighed and followed him inside, half wondering if this was all a sham and he wanted to kidnap her or something.

They both rode the elevator up and got out, there was only one door ahead of them. Izaya gestured for her to go first, "try your key, make sure it works." He said from behind her.

Kyoko pulled the key from her pocket, slid it into the lock and twisted. She turned the handle and pushed the door open. The giant window across the room illuminated the entire room. "I'll save the grand tour for when you start." Izayas voice broke the silence.

"Why do you want me to work for you so bad? You're an informant, as am I. How do you think that will work?" She asked, turning to look at him.

Izaya walked through the door and shut it behind him, sauntering over to Kyoko. He stopped mere inches from her face, "You see Kyoko-chan, I adore humans..." his voice was low and deep, his eyes locked with the girls. "You on the other hand, intrigue me more than any human has in my life so far."  
He took a step closer, and she one back. "I don't know what it is about you, but I find myself thinking about you, and your life more often than not. You're like a parasite to my brain. You're all that I think about sometimes." He took another step, pushing her to take another one back. The back of her knees bumping the arm of the couch. Izaya reached out and grabbed her by the waist. "I've never loved anyone before, not even my own family. They were nice people, I should have felt love towards them, but I really didn't. My life is normal. But, the _**idea **_of _**you **_is driving me insane. What to do with you, Hmm?" his breath fanned her skin and she swallowed hard. She couldn't look away from him.

She didn't feel scared or intimidated, she actually felt their bodies touch, for a moment. In that moment, her eyes fluttered, her cheeks warm and red; her lips drew closer to the taller stature before her. His body frozen in place.

Izaya's body seemed to shift closer, just as he did, they both snapped away. Their senses coming back to them.

Kyoko pulled back, touching her cheek and looking down at the floor. "I should be getting home now..." She bowed and walked past him.

As the air in the room shifted with her steps. Izaya's nostrils flared, the scent of the woman rippling through him now.

When Kyoko reached the bottom floor she headed in the direction of the train station. The moment she sat down on the train, her mind went blank. The city zoomed by in a blur of color. Everything was a blur until she reached home and got inside. Then, everything seemed to settle down even more and sink in. She flopped down onto her bed, her kitten coming to greet her as usual. Kyoko decided it would be best if she just acted as if nothing happened.

The brunette hadn't noticed it before, but her heart was still racing. She couldn't tell if it was good or bad..


	4. Chapter 4: Rendezvous?

To say the job was tedious would be an understatement. Izaya didn't really need her around. He had her running petty errands and organizing his files. It has only been a week, and Kyoko was very annoyed with Izaya.

One of the only perks of the job was that she could gain more intel through the files he had her organizing. She even learned that the men who came to her apartment were sent by a lower gang, looking to try and mess with the Yakuza. They were petty criminals, trying to work their way up. They thought by possibly kidnapping Kyoko or Yumi, they would blackmail them. They're still in the hospital.

Kyoko looked over at Izaya, who was playing some weird game. She sighed and glanced at her watch. "Can I go home now? I've been here all day."

His amber eyes peered up momentarily, then his finger, which gestured for her to come to him. She rolled her eyes and walked over to him, folding her arms upon her approach.

Her left hip jutted out; Izaya's eyes explored her curves.  
"Do you need anything else before I go?" She asked again, a little more aggressively.

Izaya waved his hand dismissively. Kyoko rolled her eyes again before walking away with a huff of frustration, gathered her things and left the penthouse.

When she got outside, she stretched and pulled out her phone. She had a few text messages from a few classmates asking if she wanted to study. She scrolled a little further and saw the last time she texted Shizuo. She frowned, recalling she never had anyone over to have hot pot.

The petite brunette shoved her phone in her pocket and started walking to the train station. When she finally got to the station and got on the train, she received an email from an unknown contact.

It asked if she wanted to join The Dollars.

Her curiosity bested her and she found herself accepting it, and clicking on the link. A few moments later she was sent a link to a website and a password.

When she followed the link and logged in, she was given a screen name and a forum popped up. A small introductory post was made, which she read. It seemed trivial, but who knew. Maybe it could be something one day.

When the train stopped at her stop, she got off and walked the rest of the way home.  
By now it was much darker out, and a little brisk.

She happened to hear what sounded like grinding metal and loud shouts a ways away. She knew it was Shizuo, and it took all her might not to walk in that direction.

Even now, the girl was trying to find ways around Izaya's blackmail. She hated feeling tied down to him. Like she owed him something. She was her own person, her own property, and she hated not having control over the one thing she could at all times; herself.

She huffed in frustration, her warm breath clouding at her lips from the cool weather.

It was almost as if the city wanted the two to see each other.

The guy Shizuo was chasing ran right past Kyoko, shoving her from behind as she walked down the street. The floor rushed towards her and she braced herself for the impact.

It never came.

Firm hands held onto her waist, then hoisted her up.  
"Kyoko-chan?" He pulled her to his chest.

She gasped, then looked up at him. "Shizuo?"  
He looked down at her and cracked a small smile. The two held onto each other before Tom walked through the small crowd and cleared his throat.

Kyoko didn't want him to let go, she loved the feeling of his strong arms around her. It made her feel so secure and safe. Her face was beet red, her heart pounding as she internally fan-girled. But, she didn't want to risk potentially ruining her family's reputation. So, she jumped back and whirled around to look at him.

"I'm so sorry Shizuo, but I have to go! Thank you for saving me!" She spun on her heel, leaving the blonde confused and a little bashful.

When she got a good distance away, she stopped running and rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She released a sigh and stood upright. She felt guilty about running away from him like that, but she knew Izaya had eyes and ears everywhere. As she started walking home, she bit her lip in frustration and tried to think of any ways to get around Izaya to at least keep her friendship with Shizuo.

When she reached her apartment, she idly went through her normal routine until she was finished. Having eaten and done her homework for the evening, she sighed and logged on to her chatroom. Nobody was currently online.

With a huff of frustration, she grabbed her phone and called Yumi. The dial tone rang a few times before the sweet, and oddly shrill voice boomed back at her. "Kyoko! Great timing! I was just about to call you to see if you wanted to go out dancing tonight?"

Kyoko smiled, missing Yumi already. "I would love to, where are you thinking?" She held the phone between her shoulder and her ear, walking into her closet to look through her clothes. Yumi asked someone the name of the place, sounding a ways away for a moment before coming back as loud as before, "I totally forgot, it's the club we've always wanted to go dancing at! Remember? 'Re-Nu'" The brunette smiled, "Yeah, I remember now. Are you already there?" She asked, taking note of the music in the background. "No, a few girls from my dorm and I are at a karaoke bar. Then, we started talking about going dancing. So, are you in?"

Kyoko was already planning an outfit. "Absolutely, I'm getting an outfit together now. I'll meet you there?" Yumi squealed in excitement and kept saying 'yes'. So Kyoko told her she'd be ready in about twenty minutes and would take a cab there.

When they finally hung up with each other, Kyoko was already almost dressed. She tussled her hair with her fingers and glanced in the mirror. She decided on a black bralette with a sheer top over it, and a pair of black shorts. When she stood in front of her full-length mirror and examined herself, she felt that something was missing. She thought it would be a bit cold for just shorts, so she dug through a drawer for some pantyhose. When she found the ones she was looking for, she put them on underneath her shorts and hurriedly went to apply some light makeup.

Finally deeming herself ready, she checked her phone for the time and raced to get her shoes on at the door. Pulling her slender legs into her black suede over-the-knee boots, she zipped them up in the back and pulled her arms through her coat sleeves. Her long pea coat covered her body and would shield her from the cold.

She grabbed her purse and walked out of the door into the brisk night. When she got down the stairs to the street level, she looked out onto the street for a vacant cab. When she didn't see one, she stepped out a little onto the street and tried to hail one.

Eventually, one pulled up beside her and she climbed into the cab. She relayed the address to the driver and buckled herself in before the cab pulled out into the traffic.

The ride was short, as Kyoko's mind drifted in and out of her thoughts. Adrenalin coursed through her when the cab pulled up to the club. When she got out, she sauntered up to the front of the line and whispered something in the bouncers ear. He immediately pulled the door open for her and let her in.

She got her hand stamped and walked through the crowd to the bar and ordered a drink. Yumi had texted her a few minutes before she arrived to tell her she was also at the bar and would wait until she saw her.

After the bartender brought her her drink, she asked him to start a tab for her and looked around for her eccentric best friend. A pair of warm hands then grasped her shoulders, followed by a shrill squeal that could be heard even through the booming music.

"Kyoko!" She jumped up and down; Kyoko sipped her drink. "Yumi!" Kyoko hugged her tight, then ruffled her hair when she pulled back. "You've clearly been drinking, " Kyoko laughed.

"And you have not!" Yumi retorted, bringing Kyoko's drink to her lips with a huge grin.

The song changed to one with heavier bass and both girls trudged through the crowd to the dancefloor. The room seemed to vibrate around them, the music enveloping their minds and bodies. A small opening was made for the two when they both started moving their bodies along to the beat, some stopping to watch these vixens in their glory.

They seemed to meld with the music, their bodies twisting and gliding seamlessly to the rhythm. They happily indulged in the music and the drinks they knocked back in between songs. Kyoko wanted to leave all her worries behind for once and enjoy her youth.

Up in the lounge, Izaya was in the middle of a 'meeting' with none other than Kyoko's father. The entire room was in the middle of the club, all windows made of one-way glass. So, all those inside could see the booming nightclub below.

The men conversed for a while before Izaya slid over an envelope full of highly sensitive information. Kyoko's father motioned for one of the men to pick it up and hand it to him.

After looking over the contents of the envelope, he nodded and another man slid over a suitcase.

"The deal is done," Izaya stated, standing from his armchair.

Kyoko's father stood as well, nodding once before leaving the room with his men altogether.

"Well that was awkward," he sighed and walked over to one of the windows looking over the club.

Down below, men and women were surrounding both Yumi and Kyoko as they danced around and with each other. The crowd was particularly loud, which caught Izaya's attention.

He looked down, Kyoko catching his eye immediately. He couldn't help but grin, his mind feeling entranced by her body.

When the song ended, Kyoko threw her hair back and ruffled it, feeling the heat of the room envelop her. She pulled Yumi close and told her she would be right back. She headed to the bar and ordered a round of shots. She leaned over the cool glass counter and caught her breath; a particularly drunk guy bumped into her shoulder and knocked her off balance and into someone on the opposite side.

"Hey, watch it-" the grumbly voice sent a shiver through her body; his voice was unmistakable.

They both turned to each other, Kyoko's heart swelled. The blonde, now clad in a pair of jeans and a button up, smiled immediately, "Hey, Kyoko-chan"

"Shizuo," came her exasperated reply. "What brings you here?" She asked, trying to keep from smiling too much.

Shizuo pointed over his shoulder, Kyoko's eyes wandered and locked on to Tom, who was partying it up in a VIP section.

"He looks like hes having a blast," Kyoko noted with a chuckle. Shizuo rubbed the back of his head, the bartender brought the round of shots over to Kyoko.

Shizuo had been already drinking, feeling a little liquid courage course through him, he stepped a little closer to the petite brunette.

She looked up into his eyes, her heart ready to burst out of her chest. He placed no more than a finger to her supple cheek, gently stroking it with the back of his finger; he cleared his throat. "Kyoko, I have to tell you something..." he trailed off momentarily, Kyoko's body drawing closer to his tall stature. "But, I'm not sure how to say it,"

Kyoko looked up into his golden brown eyes, her own fluttering with nervousness and glee. "You can tell me anything, Shizuo,"

Their faces drew closer, their lips almost touching when a pair of firm hands gripped Kyoko's shoulders, pulling her away from Shizuo entirely.

She whirled around in fury, her eyes landing on none other than Izaya. Her blood boiled and her hands formed fists. "Izaya?! What the hell do you think you're doing?" She bellowed, wanting nothing more than to tear him to shreds.

He clicked his tongue, "tsk tsk, Kyoko-chan, I thought we had a deal?" He pulled out his pocket knife, looking past the girl to the beast behind her.

Shizuo glared daggers at the filthy troll and prepared to lunge at the bastard.

In that instant, Kyoko stepped between them, hands to both of their chests. "Knock it off! This isn't a playground!" She huffed and turned to her shots still sitting at the bar. She tossed them all back and walked away from the two, murmuring under her breath "you're both grown men, start acting like it" before making her way back to the dance floor to Yumi.

Both men stood there, glaring at one another, but neither said a word.

They both walked away. Shizuo returned to Tom and Izaya slunk back into the crowd to find Kyoko.  
When he did, he couldn't watch as these greasy men tried to dance all over her. He sighed and shoved them all away, before grabbing her arm and pulling her to his chest. "We need to talk, Kyoko-chan,"  
When she tried to resist, his smile faded "Now."

She glared and talked to Yumi for a moment. They both found the exit and Kyoko got a cab for Yumi. She told the driver where to go and closed the door behind her best friend once she was inside.

Then, she turned to Izaya and crossed her arms. She could feel the alcohol settling in her body now, as the cold didn't bother her and she felt a slight buzz in her body. "What do you want, Izaya?"

He had been patiently waiting for her the whole time, only now he stepped closer and draped his jacket around her. "You know perfectly well why I am upset, Kyoko-chan,"

"Because I was talking to Shizuo, big deal!" She scoffed, feeling a little liquid courage of her own. "You may be blackmailing me, but I can still do whatever I'd like, Izaya. And I wasn't just talking to Shizuo, by the way! I was ordering my drinks" she added, turning her head away from him in mock disgust.

The informant sighed as another cab pulled up, he opened the door and ushered the lady in before climbing in as well. He told the driver Kyoko's address and he drove off. Making sure to keep his voice down, he leaned over and whispered in Kyoko's ear, "that may be true, but I own you, Kyoko Akiba."

The brunette seemed to have fallen asleep; Izaya sighed.

Upon arriving at her apartment, Izaya paid the driver and got the girl to her apartment in no time. He gently laid her in her bed, pulled off her shoes and pulled the blanket over her. He left the room and shut the door behind him.

Deciding to stay, he helped himself to her plush couch and sat down.  
Upon waking up, Kyoko felt the sunlight beaming down on her.

Ubrubtly sitting up, she looked around frantically before jumping out of bed to examine herself. She didnt hear anything, and didn't see Yumi either.

She quietly opened her desk drawer for her own pocket knife and walked to her bedroom door and slowly opened it, thankful it didn't make any noise. She walked down the hall, and into the living room and stealthy as she could, before seeing a lumpy figure on her couch. She crept over and saw the owner of the body to be Izaya. Her blood boiled, and she ripped the jacket off his body before kicking him awake.

He groaned and bolted up himself, looking very displeased. "That's very rude, considering I brought you home last night." She kicked him again, only this time in the shin. "Get out of my house! Why are you even here?!"

The tall and lanky figure now stood before her, seemingly very pissed off.  
_"I guess he isn't a morning person."_ Kyoko thought

"I couldn't just leave now could I?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "And why not? I don't see why you thought you needed to stay! Now, please leave before I-"

He cut her off before she could get the words out, covering her mouth and shoving her a step back. "Stop being so loud," He sighed and uncovered her mouth, "I can't lock the door after I've left, and you were passed out cold." Izaya grabbed his coat and ruffled his hair. "I was going to leave as soon as you woke up, anyway." He grumbled.

"Oh..." the brunette trailed off, feeling defeated. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trouble you. Thank you for staying..." her voiced softened at the end, feeling the guilt wash over her. She hung her head a little, contemplating,_ "Maybe he's not as bad as I thought?"_

"Plus, now you owe me." Izaya chuckled.

And there went an thought of redemption for Izaya's sick and twisted little soul. Kyoko groaned and sat down on the couch where Izaya was sleeping. "Now, what?" She asked nonchalantly.

"I need you to do something a little different than your usual errand this time..." he stood taller now, more focused and awake. Kyoko frowned, fearing the worst.

Meanwhile, a trio of friends walked home from school together, laughing and smiling without a care in the world.

Passing the infamous Shizuo Heiwajima, who was particularly grumpy today. The teens gawked and whispered amongst themselves as he passed, then quickly crossed the street to avoid getting in his way.

Back at Kyoko's apartment, the brunette was stepping out of the shower and drying off when Izaya knocked on her door. "Hold on, perv. I'm still drying off"

"I have your _costume,_ Kyoko-chan~" he stated, a sing-song like tone in his voice.  
_"That doesn't sound good," _she thought to herself as she slithered into a robe and tied it at the waist before walking out.

When she did, she was met with the ever so slick, Izaya poking around her room. She cleared her throat and actually got a reaction from him. His shoulders jumped and he spun around, clearly startled.

She ignored him, and held out her hand, asking for this outfit he was talking about.

He smirked and unzipped the bag that was around the clothes. When she saw it, she sighed miserably.

A little while later, Kyoko was waiting in a private room at a high end restaurant, waiting on this client Izaya had.

She was wearing a very scandalous "high school uniform" and a wig; she felt like she couldn't move or all would be exposed. Her face was permanently pink from embarrassment.

She heard Izaya in her earpiece, "Dont look so stiff, relax. _I wont let anything happen to you." _The last part sent a shiver down her spine, it sounded so sincere and almost seducing. Kyoko bit her lip.

"My client is making his way inside the building, remember, you are Nakura and you work for me."

"I got that, but I dont see why I needed to be wearing this ridiculous outfit!" She whisper yelled. She could hear Izaya chuckle, "you'll see" Kyoko could just hear the smirk.

"Client is coming into the room" she heard.

The door slid open, revealing to the man a beautiful school girl awaiting him. He slid it shut and sat down across from Kyoko.  
"Mr. Orihara knows me too well, how are you my dear?" He was tall and built, he fit the description of a mobster almost to a 'T'. Everything about him screamed danger.

Kyoko offered a smile, "I am wonderful, thank you. My name is Nakura and I am here on Mr. Orihara's behalf." Kyoko placed her hands on her lap, trying to keep the skirt from riding up.

_"Mr. Orihara sounds so sexy coming from you, Kyoko-chan~" _he teased, making her blush even more.

"My name is Mr. Otanashi, will Mr. Orihara be joining us, sweetheart?"

Kyoko smiled at him, "I regret to inform you that Mr. Orihara is very busy and will not be able to attend our meeting this afternoon."

"Don't get me wrong, princess, I'd love to spend my time with you," he stood and walked over to the loveseat Kyoko was sitting on and sat beside her, throwing his arm around her shoulder, fingering the material of her top. "But I really need to speak to Mr. Orihara." He leaned in to smell her.

_"You have to flirt a little, I need him to trust you enough to give you the intel" _Izaya said quietly through the earpiece.

Kyoko swallowed her pride and allowed her inner actress out.

She turned to the man and pressed her chest against his arm, holding onto him, "Mr. Orihara trusts me implicitly, Mr. Otanashi. If I dont return to him with what he has requested, I'll be punished. You wouldn't want me to get punished, would you?" She looked up at him, clinging to him a bit tighter. She had brought her legs up onto the loveseat to get a little closer.

Mr. Otanashi gripped her chin delicately, his hand slithered around her waist. He pulled her to his face, their lips almost touching. "Now, how could I turn down a beautiful girl such as yourself, practically at my mercy?" He smirked and pulled back to reach into his back pocket. He pulled out an envelope and placed it in her hands before leaning back in.

"I do hope Mr. Orihara let's me play with you for a bit before you have to go," he cooed. Kyoko was pushed back onto the love seat, he positioned his body between her legs, making her squeal out. "Mr. O-Ot-Otanashi, w-wait, no." He chuckled at her, "That is why Mr. Orihara had _yo_u meet with me, isnt it? To make up for not showing up himself?"

Kyoko shook her head, "Mr. Orihara wouldn't be pleased if you took advantage of me, Mr. Otanashi"

He rolled his eyes and slid his hand up her thigh, not saying anything before leaning in to kiss her.

She heard Izaya curse before the doors to the room were thrown open and Mr. Otanashi pulled off of her.

Izaya stood there, pinning Mr. Otanashi to the wall with a blade to his throat.  
"Mr. Orihara will be very angry you touched his lady that way, Mr. Otanashi."

Mr. Otanashi shoved Izaya off of him and smoothed out his clothing before silently leaving.

Kyoko sat up on the seat, finally having found her senses. Her fingertips flew to her mouth in shock.

Izaya spun around and threw his jacket around her and escorted her out the back and into a car. "Take me home," he said. Kyoko remained silent the whole time, still trying to process everything.

Izaya kept glancing at her, making sure she was okay. He couldn't read her and it drove him mad, more than anything. He could read anyone, anything, no problem. But not Kyoko.

When they finally reached his penthouse, she handed him the envelope.

"Kyoko-chan, are you alright?" Izaya asked, finally breaking the silence. "I'm fine, just a little shaken up. I wasn't expecting him to try and force himself on me... but then again, I should have, since I'm wearing this," she looked down at herself.

Izaya glared and stood up, walking over to the girl, and zipped up his jacket on her smaller figure. She looked up into his eyes, feeling her heart flutter. She couldn't help herself, thinking back to what he said at a time like this. Her cheeks flushed red, _"Mr. Orihara sounds so sexy coming from you, Kyoko-chan,"_

She shook her head free of the thoughts, trying to avoid eye contact, "what's the matter?" Izaya asked.

"I-I-I, u-um, n-n-nothing," she stammered out, looking down at the floor.

"This is quite uncharacteristic, Kyoko-chan," his concern became cockiness, and he took a step closer, reaching up to gently take ahold of her chin. He raised her gaze to meet his, noticing her cheeks.

Her eyes wandered away from his face, and he made her look at him. When she did, he smirked and Kyoko pulled away angrily.

"I need to go home, I'll see you tomorrow." She walked out the door with her belongings and locked the door behind her.  
She took a cab once she got to the street level. The ride was fairly quick since she was lost in thought the whole way. She laid her head in her hands, mentally cursing herself for acting the way she did. Normally she can handle herself, but today she seemed to be completely out of it. Even dropping her guard around Izaya, of all people.

She stepped out of the cab, just as a loud clap of thunder echoed throughout the city and the sky opened up. She threw her head back and let the rain fall upon her face. She shivered after a minute of standing there, enjoying the rain and hugged Izaya's coat closer to her body. She started walking up the stairs and to her floor before it dawned on her.

She had Izaya's coat.

When she got inside, she held it close to her face and inhaled the scent, not fully realizing her actions. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink and her heart skipped a beat. "Izaya, what are you doing to me?... I thought my heart belonged to someone else..." she sighed and made her way to her bed before plopping down and going to sleep.

[A.N. how was this chapter? I put a lot of blood sweat and tears into this one, so, I hope it's as good as I think it is. Let me know what you think. ]


	5. Chapter 5: Tangled in the Web

A few days had gone by and things seemed to settle down for once. Izaya had told her he didn't need her to assist him for the past two days; even when she was there, Izaya was his usual weird self. In her newly found spare time, she was walking to Shinra's apartment to pay him a visit. He was the most straight forward person she knew that wouldn't turn around and use anything they discussed against her.

He usually kept to himself and they weren't super close in High school, but they still talked about their common fascination with the otherworldly phenomenon that is Celty and Shizuo.

Much like Shinra, Kyoko was drawn to things that didn't make sense. She liked to be challenged and her skills put to the test. Which is why she also wanted to become a doctor. She wanted to be able to probe the unnatural for answers. She gushed **_"That's why you like Izaya.."_** She found herself mentally admitting. This made her a little upset, her brow knitting together in annoyance. Her face twisted into a look of disgust.

She found herself at their apartment door already, having to pull herself from her thoughts when the door was pulled open and the ever so eccentric Shinra beamed at her. "Kyoko! How wonderful to see you! Come in, come in!" He gestured inside, stepping away to let her pass. She stepped inside and took her shoes off, then walked into his living room and helped herself to a spot on the couch. He shut the door behind her and walked into the living room as well. He sat adjacent to her and rested his hands in his lap.

"So, what business brings you by out of the blue?" He asked, picking up a cup off of the table and bringing it to his lips. Kyoko heaved a small sigh and poured her guts to the Mob doctor.

"Well, I seemed to have gotten mixed up with Izaya..."

Some time later, after telling Shinra just about everything, she sat back into the couch cushions, seeming to finally relax.

Shinra had been listening intently the whole time , not once interrupting as she talked. When she sat back, he took it as his opportunity to speak his mind now.

"I see..." He cradled his thumb and index finger to his chin, "I firmly believe Izaya doesn't have a shred of humanity in his body, so I wouldn't put it past him to have an ulterior motive. It isn't like him to want to actually help anyone or anything of the sort..." He looked to Kyoko for any changes in her body language. When she didn't change, he pressed on "As far as Shizuo goes, we obviously share a common interest, although..." He trailed off for a second, his eyes never leaving the brunette's. "It seems more like you have a crush on Shizuo, and are also very obsessed with his inhuman strength." The doctor noticed a pink flush flood the girls cheeks upon saying this, but didn't comment.

"I may have an idea about getting through his 'deal' with you, involving Shizuo."  
Kyoko perked up at this, wondering what the madman had conjured in his mind. "Please, tell me!" She nearly jumped out of her seat.

Shinra smiled and leaned forward, smirking a bit. "The answer has always been right in front of you. You just need to be smarter than him at his own game and you'll be free of him." He sat back to adjust his glasses, "I mean, what better way when you're working for him and are always around his intel, and himself."

Kyoko thought about it for a moment, contemplating how she could outsmart the ever so slick informant. She smiled when the ideas started coming to her. "Thank you Shinra, I think I know what to do now," She smiled and stood from the couch, stretching a bit. "I think i'll head out now and get to work." Shinra also stood, walking with her to the door. "Don't be afraid to stop by every now and again, Celty misses you." Kyoko pulled her shoes back on and nodded, "Thanks again, Shinra. Tell Celty I miss her too!" She left the apartment and headed for the elevator. Just as the doors slid shut before her, Celty herself was just getting in from a job.

Meanwhile, a certain informant was back at his penthouse spinning in his chair, enjoying all that he could do through this new web forum called 'The Dollars'. He paused to glance around, remembering he had been so busy and dismissed little Kyoko for a few days. He was growing bored without her around, despite all that he had to meddle with at his fingertips. He closed the forum on his phone and sent a text to the brunette.

_'Kyoko-chan, I require you again, please bring something to make for dinner while you're at it.' _

Upon receiving his message, the brunette actually smiled to herself. She had plenty of time on her walk to figure out just what she needed to do to get what she wanted from the informant.

She stopped at a store when she got closer to the penthouse and picked up something to make for him as he requested. While waiting to check out, she couldn't help the fluttery feeling all over her. When the cashier rung her up, they couldn't place the unnerving feeling they got from the girl before them. She seemed normal enough, but rung her up quickly nonetheless.

Upon entering the penthouse, Kyoko was met with three knives flying through the air towards her. She gasped and immediately stepped to the side at the last second.

"What the hell?!" She asked, turning to glare at Izaya. "I just wanted to see if you would have time to react." he replied nonchalantly. She shook her head angrily and went straight to the kitchen to start preparing food for the maniac. Izaya watched from the other side of the kitchen, opting to sit on one of the counters. He was momentarily surprised as she unloaded the bags and opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for herself.

She pulled out the rest of what she needed and began getting to work, occasionally taking a moment to sip the bitter wine as she chopped away at various vegetables and pieces of meat. Once everything was seasoned, she placed the ingredients into their pans and began cooking. All the while, Izaya watched her every move intently. "I didn't know you drank so casually, Kyoko-chan." She turned to him, smiling a bit. "Really? The glorious Izaya Orihara doesn't know something about me?!" She feigned a gasp and held a hand to her heart in mock horror, "There's _a lot_ you don't know about me, Izaya." Her mockery fell from her face and settled into a warm smile. She turned back to her task and a little while later, dinner was made and set at the table for the man before he could say anything else.

She sat across from him, which was unusual, considering she waited to eat until later, or ate in the kitchen. Plus, he rarely ate at the table. She poured herself another glass of wine and began eating, Izaya also began to eat.

"Mmm, your food never ceases to amaze me. It's always so delicious, Kyoko-chan!~" She could tell by now that this was his only 'normal' exchange with her. He always wanted her cooking. Never take out. Although, she could never really tell if he liked it or not.

As he ate, he kept his eyes on her for the majority of the meal. He would occasionally pause to admire her in their silence. Everything about her seemed delicate and fragile. Like looking at a porcelain doll. He admired it, but he also wanted to break that doll. He wanted to see how the pieces would shatter, how they would fall, or what they might look like when glued back together.

Her brown locks seemed to catch the remaining light from the giant window of the room in all the right ways, making them look like stringy layers of caramel falling from her crown ever so gently. Her rosy petal pink lips pursed ever so slightly in between bites of her food. It was almost like watching a movie for Izaya, he was so caught in her essence, he was almost caught staring a few times. Almost. His eyes flew to hers, watching with every blink as her thick wispy lashes would brush the very tops of her cheeks.

Kyoko was no novice to his ways, and already knew he was looking at her every now and again. She didn't really pay it any mind. She was currently concentrated on finishing her wine.

When they finished eating, Kyoko cleared everything away and cleaned it all up in no time. Her eyes wandering to the man now at his desk, silently grinning and typing away at his laptop. She took the opportunity to test the waters of her new plan of revenge.

She strode over to him, glass of wine in hand and stood beside him. "Izaya..." She placed the glass on his desk after a sip, followed by her hand resting on his desk; the other on her hip as she waited for him to look at her. When their eyes met, she knew she had him.

He turned to look at her, their eyes locking momentarily before they trailed her stature. He internally groaned, remembering their first encounter in this penthouse. He mentally cursed himself for recalling that at a time like this. He slid away from the desk a bit to turn and face her fully. "Yes, Kyoko?" His voice was low and deep, but what shocked him was the lack of honorific.

She stepped a bit closer, almost standing over him. She leaned down and got closer to his ear, "Do you remember that party Shinra threw in high school?" Izaya's mouth twitched into a small smirk, "It's a bit hazy for me, could you refresh my memory?" He asked, pulling his head back to look into her eyes for any answers. He didn't find any; this made him angry. He didn't like not knowing what people were thinking.

Kyoko sensed this and helped herself to Izaya's lap, without skipping a beat, she delicately pressed her lips to Izaya's; just a small peck to test the water. Izaya tensed beneath her, every nerve in his body was screaming at him, he didn't know how to decipher the feeling. He didn't know if it was good or bad. He hated it, but he also loved it. Kyoko turned a little, exposing a little more of her leg, taking Izaya's hand and placing it on the exposed skin. His fingers twitched, feeling the raised flesh swarm over her skin under his fingertips. He smirked and shoved all logical thinking to the side. His lips met hers once again, just as cautiously as before. Their lips danced eagerly, Izaya demanding dominance over the kiss. Kyoko almost smirked between their hasty exchanges, but fought the urge and fought back for her own dominance. Their tongues met in the wet heat, their bodies getting closer but not close enough. Izaya slid his hands beneath the woman and lifted her up effortlessly, situating her to straddle his waist in his chair, never breaking the kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck for support, one hand tangling in his hair. Their chests pressed against each other, drawn in like magnets.

Kyoko had to mentally give him props for not dropping her, and decided to reward him by deepening the kiss, if possible. Izaya's hands remained on her butt, slightly clenching his fingers around the flesh as he reciprocated almost every move the woman on top of him made. His hands eventually slithered to her thighs, rubbing up and down teasingly. Kyoko smiled into their kiss, finally pulling away for a breath; her lips connecting to Izaya's neck, which sent a shiver down his spine. His mind was spinning, he almost couldn't formulate any coherent thoughts; it was driving him insane.

Just as he was growing impatient, the feelings of lust tugging at him, a knock sounded at his front door, followed by the ringing of the doorbell. A low and audible growl escaped the informant as he angrily pulled away. "I wasn't expecting anyone..." He looked to Kyoko to remove herself from him, although his eyes said _"Don't you dare move a muscle."_ Kyoko bit her lip and stifled a giggle of amusement. She slowly detached herself from him, making sure to make physical contact in every way in the process. When she stood, he shoved her onto his desk, crashing their lips together once again. He pulled away briefly, "They'll eventually go away" just as their mouths touched, the knocking got louder and more insistent. Izaya sighed, the temptations of lust slipping away as the knocks continued. He released Kyoko and gestured for her to answer the door. She did as he implied, surprised to see Mr. Shiki standing on the other side.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Izaya's fake happiness beaming more than ever to stress his frustrations to the only person who would understand in that moment. Kyoko giggled and allowed him inside, shutting the door behind him.

The pair went on to discuss business, while Kyoko stepped outside to revel in her success. This was working so far exactly as she planned. She knew better though, Izaya was near impossible to read, but tonight proved she was starting to catch on. She only hoped he wouldn't figure it out and lead her right back into his hands again.

When she saw Mr. Shiki leave the apartment, she went to walk back inside, but he stopped her. "It ain't my business, but do you know what you've gotten yourself into?" Kyoko smiled at him, holding her hands behind her back, "Of course, Shiki-san, I've known him since high school, I think I can handle him." He cocked a smile at her, "I only ask because you're family and I want to make sure nothing happens to you, you just let me know if anything does" He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down at her. "I appreciate the concern, and thank you" she held her index finger to her lips, in a 'shushing' manner before walking back inside. "Goodbye, Shiki-san, have a wonderful evening." She shut the door behind him without receiving a response. Izaya was still pouting when she returned. She started to gather her things, glancing at her watch, "I should be getting home, I have exams to study for."

Izaya didn't seem to like that, and seemed hesitant in dismissing her. Nonetheless, he waved his hand carelessly and turned around in his chair to face the large window overlooking the city. She took the opportunity to tease him just a bit more, slowly walking up behind him and leaning down to his ear, "Goodnight, Mr. Orihara." She was pleased to see that she actually had startled him, which was no easy feat. He met her eyes in the reflection of the window. His expression was hard to read this time, he seemed a little too pleased himself, as if he liked that she caught him off guard. Her face twisted into a bittersweet smile and before she turned away to walk to the door, he could have sworn he saw her blow a kiss with her lips.

When the door finally shut and the soft click of the lock sliding into place echoed across the room, he listened for her footsteps to fade away down the hall before releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He groaned; it turned into a chuckle, then full blown stomach gripping laughter. He wiped a small prick of moisture from the corner of his eye when the maniacal laughter ceased, "Ah, Kyoko-chan, you never cease to amaze me!" He spun a few times in his chair, trying to figure out her motives. To his dismay, he couldn't place it this time. She truly was a mystery and that made his blood boil. "I guess there _is_ a lot I don't know about you, Kyoko Akiba."

The next morning, Kyoko woke ever so blissful, despite staying up late to study for her exams. She awoke on the right side of bed, and prepared herself for the days events with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. Who knew what the day held?  
Upon arriving to school, she received a message alert from the Dollars forum, someone had reached out to her in regards to the post she'd made when she got home last night. She smiled to herself and typed a quick response before heading inside, even happier than before.

The exams were easy, and Kyoko had no doubt she was more than equipped for them, so when she left the school that day, she decided she wanted to treat herself and went to the local mall in Ikebukoro to go on a shopping spree.

It wasn't that packed, considering it was a Wednesday afternoon. So, she leisurely walked the mall and wandered the stores at her own pace, trying on and buying whatever she liked. Sooner or later, she realized she had plenty of bags and not much arm space left; so she made her way to the exit and flagged down a cab. Once settled inside, she remembered the person she was talking to on the Dollars forum. She pulled out her phone and sent a few replies before looking to glance out the window. The city seemed as lively as ever as the scenery passed her. Kids walking home from school, women carrying out their errands, going from shop to shop, couples enjoying each others company. She paused on that thought, the city looking much different to her now as it loomed in her mind. Was she really attracted to Izaya _and_ Shizuo? How could that be? She knew exactly what Izaya was. She wanted to steer clear of him if she had it her way, yet, here she was. Thinking about him. Her eyebrows knitted together in frustration. On the other hand, she wanted to get to know Shizuo. The list stopped there. Why did she want to know him if it weren't for his strength? Her heart fluttered. She didn't really know why, all she knew was that was the only reason she could come up with, yet every time she was near him she felt like a blubbering school girl all over again.

She sighed and snapped back to reality when they pulled up in front of her building. She paid the driver and gathered her things before making her way up the stairs and to her door. Dumping her load of clothes and other miscellaneous items in her room. Not particularly tired she decided to check the school website for her test scores. To no surprise, she aced them with perfect scores. Feeling a little bold after today, she pulled out her phone and texted Shizuo. She was getting tired of feeling trapped by Izaya and wanted to test the boundaries once more.

_'Hey, it's been a while, stranger.'_ She texted, then set her phone down to change into more comfortable clothes. Mid outfit change, her phone dinged and she hurriedly ran over to it, then mentally cursing herself for proving herself right.

_'Hey Kyoko-chan, how are you?' _She smiled, imaging his voice while reading his response,

_'I'm doing great actually, I just took some exams for school and passed with flying colors. How are you?' _She rolled off her bed and resumed changing, then walked into her bathroom to wash her face.

'Ding' She finished up quickly and plopped back down on her bed to get comfortable.

_'That's great! I wish I was that good with school stuff '_

She realized that their conversation was rather awkward and straight forward, which made her feel guilty to some extent.

_'That's okay! You're doing an amazing job as a debt collector! '_

Kyoko sighed, wondering how she could amend this, but to no avail. She wished she had more to say or talk about.

_'Thanks, but I feel I could be better at controlling myself...'_

Bingo! Kyoko smiled, finding the light at the end of the tunnel.

_'Maybe I could help you? I mean, I used to patch you up after fights. Maybe I could help you get better at controlling your anger or even just help you find a better way of handling it. What do you think? '_

There was a small delay in his response time, but she didn't think much of it. She decided to scroll through the Dollars website a bit more. A few random posts here and there, but the majority were like little information blips about Ikebukoro, and other rumors or mishaps happening in the city. She smiled at a few, wondering why some people made it a point to go out of their way to say some things. A few posts caught her attention, mostly concerning Shizuo himself, "The Strongest Man in Ikebukoro," She smiled. Others made her visibly upset, seeing how people painted him as a monster.

Her phone 'dinged' again, indicating a new message.

_'I honestly would love that. Thank you Kyoko-chan. You've always been a great friend.' _

She couldn't help the smile, then the sinking feeling in her chest upon reading the word 'friend'. She didn't quite understand why it bothered her. Little did she know, the debt collector struggled so hard with a response.

Ever since that night he helped her out, he's had a different outlook on her. He often found himself referring to her as 'cute' in his thoughts, or just simply thought of her at a random moment in the day; wondering what she did, what her routine was. She was plaguing his mind, and he didn't know how to feel about it.

Shizuo's phone buzzed in his pocket, his heart skipped with anxiety.

_'Sounds good! I can't wait to get started. Let's shoot for this weekend if you're not busy? I have work and school all week, but on the weekends I'm all yours!' _

The blonde felt a wave of relief wash over him, but he also felt nervous and excited all at the same time. He quickly tapped a response, Tom already finished with his cigarette and signaling them to get moving.

'Perfect, i'll let you know when and where. Thanks Kyoko-chan. Goodnight.' He smiled as he pressed send, reluctantly shoving his phone back into his pocket and walking off and falling in step with Tom.

"What's got you in such a good mood all of a sudden?" Tom asked, rounding a corner. Shizuo blinked away what seemed to be a daze and shoved his hands into his pockets almost nervously. "Remember that girl that bought us coffee at the university?" He asked, watching for any expression on his face. "Yeah, yeah. That brunette that's crushing on you! I remember her. What's up?" Tom chuckled, "She's kinda helpin' me with some stuff is all..." He trailed off, shocking Tom momentarily. In all the time they've known each other, he's never seen Shizuo stumble over words or act bashful. Hell, he's never even seen him blush. He kept his silly comments to himself this time and analyzed the blonde's face carefully. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary to him at first, but then he noticed it.

The tiniest tug of a smile at the corners of his lips; that's all Tom needed to see to know that Shizuo was genuinely happy for a moment. He smiled too, then pat Shizuo on the back. "That's good, I hope it all works out for you." He reassured him. "Now, lets finish this quickly and head in for the night, I'm beat." They both stopped in front of an apartment building, looking at the numbers on the doors before they found where they needed to be.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Kyoko was more than giddy, she was practically jumping out of her skin when her final class ended the day before, and just about on cloud 9 when she woke up this morning.

When she rolled over in her bed, she checked her phone, eagerly opening a message from Shizuo.

_'Good morning, Kyoko-chan. I think it would be best to meet at that park near Raira to start. How does noon sound?' _She smiled as she quickly typed a response,

'Sounds good to me, see you then!'

She got out of bed and walked into her bathroom to start the shower when her phone began ringing. Without looking at the caller ID, she just answered and held the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

Izaya's slick voice came through from the other side, taking her by surprise. "Good morning Kyoko-chan. I need to borrow you again, I have another sick client who's into teenage girls and you did so well last time. Can you be here in thirty?"

Kyoko glanced at the clock on the wall, it was only 8:30am, but she really didn't want to be bothered with this right now. She sighed, "I'm afraid I have prior engagements, Izaya."

There was a slight pause, Izaya seemed taken aback from what she could tell. Usually she was on top of everything for him, always ready to do as he said. Which is what he wanted.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Kyoko-chan" he grumbled angrily. Kyoko pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to think of a way to convince him otherwise. She decided to test the next part of her little scheme. "I know it doesn't work that way, but my hands are tied here.. Please, Izaya?" She tried to put some emphasis on the 'please' and his name. There was another bit of silence. "Fine." was all he said, followed by the line going dead.

Kyoko rolled her eyes and tossed her phone down before walking back to the shower to start her day.

The hot water relaxed every muscle in her body, she released a satisfactory sigh as she washed her hair and body, enjoying every minute of her shower.  
When she finally stepped out, she wrapped a towel around herself and hair, then she stepped out into her bedroom.

All the blood in her body went cold. In her bedroom, five men stood surrounding her. She instinctively took a step back, looking every single one of them in the eyes. None of them looked familiar.

"Who are you?" She demanded, now standing taller and speaking loud and clear. A few of them seemed surprised she wasn't cowering already.

"We're part of the Black Diamonds," The 'leader' looking guy stated. He took a step closer to Kyoko. She secured her towel around her and tried not to give anything away, although she seriously doubted they could read body language that well.

When two more men stepped forward, the leader lunged for Kyoko. She stepped back, angling her body, shoulders back and thrust her fist into his face as hard as she could. He cried out and clutched his face, the rest of the gang grabbing for Kyoko. She was able to get a few good punches in, even finding an opportunity to roundhouse kick one of them; but when she turned back to aim another punch, one of the other members slammed a lamp down over her head, rendering her unconscious.

A/N: I put a lot of hard work into this chapter! So, I hope you like it. Let me know what you think is going to happen next! I have yet to receive any comments and it makes me sad because I know a few people are reading at the very least! Come on! I know you must be a Drrr! fan, let's talk about it! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6: Reminiscent

_Flashback to Raira Academy_

It was a warm spring morning when Kyoko was walking to school with Yumi, the pair conversing about what they were going to do during the weekend. It was their second year at Raira and they had a good routine going.

"I have to go with my parents this weekend to some formal dinner for my dad. I'm sorry, Kyoko." Yumi said, turning to look at her best friend. "It's okay, we spend every weekend together anyway, I'm sure a small break will be fine." She teased.

"What lovely ladies to enjoy my morning walk with~" Kyoko rolled her eyes as Izaya fell into step beside Kyoko.

The wind blew and you could almost smell that summer was around the corner. The pair remained silent as the boy walked beside them, smiling as usual. They knew all too well not to say much around him, he was popular at their school for stirring the pot.

When the school came into view, Kyoko started walking a bit faster. Yumi knowing all too well why as she fell into step beside her.

The brunettes gaze way almost immediately locked onto Shizuo, watching him as she drew near with stars in her eyes. She loved getting to school early just to sit outside, bask in the lovely weather and watch Shizuo go about his daily routine. She knew it seemed very stalker-like, but her watchful gaze was just that. She never followed him or kept things he threw away. Yumi knew about her infatuation with him and instead settled for watching Izaya every now and then. He always hung around outside, flocking with multiple groups, always seeming to be in a hurry. He always kept himself just out of Shizuo's line of sight on calmer days.

Kyoko was looking between the blonde and the sky when Izaya interrupted her gaze to him when she looked down. "Can I help you, Izaya?" She asked, noticing Shinra walking up to them. Before Izaya could say anything, Shinra handed Yumi, Izaya, and Kyoko a piece of paper. To her surprise, it was an invitation to a party at his truly's house.

Yumi immediately sighed, "I'm going to be busy with my parents all weekend!" she hung her head in defeat. "I'm sorry to hear that, we'll miss you there, Yumi-chan," Shinra said sympathetically. He then turned his gaze to Kyoko, "Will you be in attendance tonight?" Izaya's eyes met hers momentarily. "I don-" Before she could finish, Yumi cut in, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Of course, she's going to have twice as much fun on my behalf!" Shinra beamed, and looked to Kyoko for reassurance. She smiled and nodded her head, despite mentally cursing at Yumi.

Shinra cast a questioning, yet hopeful look to Izaya. "I'm busy this evening," was all he said, both Kyoko and Shinra releasing a sigh as he walked away. "Why invite him if you don't want him there?" Kyoko asked, looking up into his eyes. "Well, I invited Shizuo so he wouldn't feel left out, and so maybe he can make more friends, but I also didn't want to be harassed by Izaya if I didn't invite him." He finished, looking over his shoulder for him.

"Is Shizuo going?" Kyoko found herself blurting out, startling the other two. She hung her head a little out of embarrassment. Yumi giggled and Shinra nodded. "Yeah," He looked at his watch "I need to hand some more of these out before the bell. See you later." He turned on his heel and walked away.

Kyoko looked back to where she last saw Shizuo and frowned when he wasn't there. She looked to her best friend, "Why did you say I was going... I wanted to stay in tonight and watch a movie!" She groaned. Yumi smiled "That's exactly why!" She laughed.

School went by way too fast for Kyoko, and during her and Yumi's walk home, her stomach was doing flips. She didn't know why she was so nervous about the party. When the pair parted ways, Kyoko hurriedly got home so she could try and find something to wear.

She dug around in her closet and tried to figure out what would be a good outfit for a party with her school mates. Her mother came by and peeked into the room, a small smile on her face as she watched her daughter rummage through her clothes like a maniac.  
"Kyoko, what have you got going on?" Her mother leaned on the doorframe,  
looking around the now messy room. Kyoko looked up, slightly alarmed "I don't know what to wear for this party I was invited to," she heaved a sigh and held some clothes up to her body and looked in the mirror. "I have no idea what I'm doing, Mom."  
Her mom stifled a laugh and shook her head teasingly. "It's not that hard, let me help you get ready." She stepped into the room and started looking through the clothes, picking pieces she liked and started making outfits.  
After a while, her mom had narrowed it down to one outfit, which was a baby pink skirt and a cream button-up blouse, paired with white sneakers and a  
cardigan in case she got cold. The outfit was very girly and simple. Kyoko couldn't believe she couldn't put this together herself. Her mom sat down on her bed after they put all the clothes away and laughed. "Don't be so nervous, it's all part of being a teenager. Everyone goes through this. Just smile and remember to have fun." She left the room after kissing her daughter's head and reminding her of her curfew. After adding minimal makeup Kyoko grabbed her purse and left the house. She knew the area fairly well and was confident she could walk to Shinra's house in no time at all.

She pulled the invitation out to double-check the address and walked up to the door. She knocked a few times before an ever so happy Shinra opened the door, "Kyoko! Glad you made it! Come inside!"

She walked in and saw that a lot of people were already inside, including all of her friends. She was shocked to see Izaya there, having recalled his reply from this morning.  
Her eyes scanned the room, failing to realize the two would civilly be in the same room with each other without trying to tear each other apart. A small pout formed at her lips and Izaya walked up to her with drinks in his hands. He raised one for her to take, which she did. "I thought you said you were busy?" She asked, looking at the cup before taking a sip. Her face scrunched up momentarily; spiked punch.

She took a moment to appreciate that Izaya could be normal too, despite his tendency to be the biggest jerk in the room.

"I was," he replied nonchalantly. Kyoko was expecting him to further his statement, but he didn't so they stood their awkwardly for a few moments before Shinra called for everyone's attention. The pair looked over and sipped their drinks, "Good evening everyone! I'm sure you're all having a grand time, but I think it's time we played a party classic!" Everyone fell silent as he paused, wondering what he had in store "Seven minutes in heaven!" Most people cheered, probably because they were already drunk. The rest of them kind of dispersed so they wouldn't have to play. "How childish," Izaya chuckled half-heartedly. "What do you mean?" Kyoko found herself asking, sounding a little defensive. "It's such a stupid game, I don't understand how that could be any fun."

Kyoko laughed a little, taking another swig of her drink "That's the beauty of the game. Do you even know how to play?" She caught a glimpse of a blush on his cheeks, "It's rather simple. Two people get randomly thrown into a closet. One of them is blindfolded and has no idea who came into the closet with them. The person who can see can do whatever they want to the person who's blindfolded for seven minutes."

Izaya laughed, "That just proves my point. A stupid game." Kyoko shrugged and looked around the room once more, noticing a certain blonde had made his way inside. "How?..." She trailed off, looking up at Izaya. "I don't understand you two.." Izaya shook his head, "For the sake of normalcy, Shizu-chan and I have an unspoken agreement to leave on another be in situations like this. Just like at school, we're not always fighting, or else nobody would learn anything."

Kyoko nodded to herself, but her eyes and attention remained on Shizuo. This made Izaya visibly annoyed, but he walked away, already scheming his new game.

Kyoko tried her best to stay away from the game but ended up next in line anyway. Somehow. She internally groaned as the blindfold was tied around her head and covered her eyes. She was guided by Shinra into the closet and silently waited for whoever it was to enter after her. The only sound to be heard was the booming music vibrating against the walls around her.

When the door opened again, someone walked in and sat beside her on the little makeshift bench of what feels like blankets. "Hello?" She asked hopefully, she raised her hands to feel whoever was in there with her. She felt a broad chest and shoulders, which told her it was a guy. Her hands trailed up to the face, where she was met with a firm jaw and somewhat long hair. Her heart was racing, she had no idea who this was and they didn't want to tell her either. The person leaned down and kissed the back of her hand, which made her face flush. "What do you plan to do, Mystery Man?" She was becoming anxious and impatient.

They leaned in and pecked her lips to see how she would react. "Whoever you are, you have soft lips." She complimented bashfully. She leaned forward and met their lips again, hoping they would kiss back. When they did, she tried her best to keep up with them. This was her first kiss.

It felt right to her, like second nature. She was so worried it would be like all those awkward stories from her friends that said they didn't know what to do or something along those lines. The mini-makeout session was rather intense for Kyoko's first kiss; she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Daring to be a bit bolder, she gripped the guy's shoulders, drawing closer in between each chaste kiss. The mystery guy even put his hands on her waist, which Kyoko allowed. A small beeper rang out above their heads, indicating the seven minutes were up and Kyoko immediately ripped the blindfold off. Her heart just about stopped when she looked into Izaya's rusty brown eyes as their lips parted. "I-Izaya!? Wh-Why did you come in after me?" Her face felt like it was a million degrees, she was frozen in place. "I wanted to try the game after all." He replied casually, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Why does it matter? Were you hoping I was Shizu-chan?" He laughed, making Kyoko feel like she wanted to cry. "No, I wasn't hoping for anyone, but I was least expecting you of all people!" She got up and knocked on the door, letting Shinra know she was ready to come out.

When he opened the door he looked at her apologetically and pulled her aside. "I'm so sorry Kyoko, I tried to keep him out, but he threatened to trash my house..." Kyoko hugged Shinra "It's okay, I understand." He was going to tell her something else when she disappeared into the crowd and made her way out of the house and to her own home. She decided that night that Izaya Orihara was exactly what everyone thought he was and she hated him.

Back at the party, Shizuo also left in a hurry, seemingly very pissed off.

After that night, Kyoko became a different person for a while, she was reclusive, more than normal and snuck out countless times at night. It was then she discovered the true depths of the underworld. She thought she knew what she was getting into before, and boy was she wrong. She had only scratched the surface; this new world excited her far more than she realized and before she knew it, she was in with some of the worst people in Ikebukuro. The great thing about it; nobody knew who she was. Her family was such a tight-knit secret, that nobody knew who her father was. She was just another 'rat' to them, trying to work through the ranks. Eventually, she was under the wing of one of the worlds highest-paid hit-men.

Kyoko's eyes snapped open, revealing the unfamiliar room around her. Everything came rushing back to her like a sped-up movie trailer in her head. She looked around again, trying not to move her head too much, fearing she might have a mild concussion. She didn't see anyone, but she could hear people talking outside the room she was in. She examined herself next, noticing she was being bound at the wrists above her head and suspended from the ceiling. She was now wearing a button-up shirt, which told her these men still had _some_ humanity. She sighed, wondering why anyone would want anything to do with her. Izaya had been very good at keeping his end of the deal and keeping the information he had acquired to himself.

When the door opened up, the man calling his gang the Black Diamonds came inside. "Awake now? Very good." He walked over to her and pushed her, making her body sway and her wrists ache. She took note of the somewhat weak metal pole holding her to the ceiling. She knew better than to give him the satisfaction of inflicting pain; she kept a stoic expression. "Alright, tough girl. We'll see how long you can keep that up. But first, I need to tell you why you're here"

She rolled her eyes and waited for him to continue. "We noticed you hanging around a certain shithead in Ikebukuro, does the name Izaya Orihara ring any bells?"

Kyoko remained silent, not entirely sure where she should stand in the matter. They seemed to be a small gang, but they knew a few things, more than she'd like to admit. She decided to remain quiet until she could figure out how to get out of here.

"Not gonna talk, huh?" He kicked Kyoko in the side, making her swing hard to the left, making her wrists feel like they could fall off. Still, she remained silent and stoic. The guy scoffed and held his hand up, silently demanding something. One of the other guys handed him what looked like Kyoko's cell phone. She took a deep breath, hoping they would stop pretending to play mobster and get to the point.

"If you won't talk, we'll just have to start sending nasty videos to all of your contacts until one of them comes forward as Izaya." Kyoko shrugged, narrowing her gaze on him. _'How stupid can you be? If you know anything about Izaya, you're making a big mistake, the second you reach him, he'll just ping the phone'_ she thought, trying not to laugh out loud in their faces._ 'Not to mention if her father saw anything like this, these men would all die.' _

He unlocked her phone, just as it started ringing. "Chrome, eh? Who's that?" He answered and held it out for the other guy to hold up. He walked over to Kyoko and pulled a knife to her throat. She heard Izaya's voice on the other end but remained silent.

"Kyoko-chan, I paid a visit to your house and noticed you'd left such a mess behind. I didn't know your prior engagements required trashing your house." He waited for a response, but Kyoko didn't move a single muscle. "Kyoko?" He tried again. The man with the knife pressed it into her skin, drawing a little blood; she didn't even flinch. Unsatisfied with her responses, he brought the knife down to her thigh and stabbed it into the flesh.

She wasn't expecting this and screamed out in pain, cutting whatever Izaya was saying short. The line was silent, "I see..." Was all he said before the line went dead. The guy groaned in annoyance, still unsatisfied with the way things were going so far.

"Some friend you have, let's try someone else." He left the knife in her leg and walked over to the phone and scrolled through her contacts, "Hmm, seems you know Dr. Kishitani..." After scrolling back and forth through the contacts, he tossed the phone and stomped on it. "I think I'll just cut the answer out of you." Kyoko started laughing, much to his surprise.

"What the fuck are you laughing about you dumb bitch?!" He stalked towards her and before he could fully stand before her, she swung her legs back and forth, kicking him in the face. She used his body to push off and use the momentum to pull all her weight down to snap the bar that bound her to the ceiling. When she fell to the floor she yanked the knife from her thigh and quickly wound her still tied hands around the guy's neck, who was still recuperating from the kick and held the blade to his throat. "Who's the dumb bitch now?" She backed up a little so the other two didn't dare make a move toward them.

"How many of you are there?" She asked, pressing the blade into his neck, "There's only six of us, I swear!" He was panicked, which was good. "Are you lying to me?" she asked softly, "No, I swear! I swear! Please don't kill me!" He begged. Kyoko laughed and swung her arm down and plunged the knife into his thigh exactly where he stabbed her. He screamed out, louder than she had. "An eye for an eye, my friend. I trust I'll be seeing you again." She shoved him to the ground and waited to see how the other two would react. They both stood there, afraid to move. "Oh, and next time you think you're ready to play mobster, you better be prepared to die."

She leaned down and picked up her shattered phone. "Point me to the exit or you're next. You cost me my date." The cronies both pointed to the nearest door and she found her way from there. When she got outside she nearly met her end when Izaya flicked out his blade in surprise. "Where are your pants?" He asked, not even phased by the fact that he almost stabbed her. "Have you been stabbed? Those bastards!" She put a hand up to his chest to stop him and unzipped his jacket. "Oh no, you kept the last one!" He argued, Kyoko glared at him and yanked it off of his body before pulling it onto her body to cover her exposed flesh.

"Leave it be, I already took care of it. What time is it by the way?" Izaya glanced at his phone, "It's 11:30," He shot her a look and watched as she fought herself. "I had a date at noon, I don't know what to tell him now," This seemed to get under his skin immediately.

"You can worry about your date later. You need to get that wound stitched up." He said coldly. He picked her up after watching her failed attempt to walk and took off in the direction of Shinra's place. "We're not far from Shinra, so hang tight in the meantime." he sighed.

Kyoko remained silent, even as she got her stitches. When they were alone again and Izaya seemed to be in a better mood, she piped up about what happened, "So, they were calling themselves the Black Diamonds and they were looking for you," Izaya ran a hand through his hair with annoyance, "Never heard of them, must be some rodents trying to make a name for themselves," He suggested. "I wish that were the case, Izaya. They stalked me without me noticing, broke into my house and successfully kidnapped me. They know more than they're letting on." Izaya's face twisted into one of amusement, "What makes you so special all of a sudden?" He inquired. Kyoko cracked a smile and held her index finger to her lips, "The less you know, the better." She teased.

Shinra walked back into the room, having sensed the tension from before. He handed Kyoko a small slip of paper with some care instructions and gave her a quick hug before leading the odd pair out of his apartment in silence.

Kyoko and Izaya remained silent with one another until he dropped her off at home, to which he grabbed her wrist as she tried to get out. "I had your place cleaned and I have extra security posted just in case. Call me if anything else happens." He stated sternly, leaving Kyoko no choice but to just accept his overbearing self and let him 'help' as he sees fit for now. She nodded and exited the car, making the climb to her apartment at an agonizingly slow pace. When she reached her door, she was shocked to see Shizuo standing there with some flowers.

"When you didn't show up, I waited until this feeling told me something wasn't right. I came by to check on you and saw what looked like a break in... and some people cleaning it up. I didn't know what else to do, so I waited..." He awkwardly fell over his words, a small blush adorning his cheeks. "That's so sweet of you, Shizuo. Thank you." She walked over to him and hugged him tightly, not caring about the 'deal' with Izaya or anything else for that matter. He hugged her back, his grip tightening significantly when he noticed what she was wearing. Kyoko hardly noticed, assuming he was trying to hug her back just as reassuringly. He brushed it off, not wanting to pry in her business and hoping it was just a misunderstanding. He caught himself, wondering why he felt so possessive over Kyoko all of a sudden. They both pulled away, looking at one another briefly before she looked at her door, trying to think of something to say. "Would you like to come in to talk for a little while? I can treat you to some ice cream and tea for your trouble." She smiled warmly up at him, "I would love that, thank you."

Kyoko unlocked her door with the new key Izaya had made and let him in. The place was basically back to the way it was before, except it looked like Izaya added his own touches here and there. She didn't think too much on it and led him to the living room. "Take a seat and allow me to freshen up, and I'll explain some more about what happened today, okay?" She walked towards her bedroom door and waited for him to answer before fully shutting the door behind her when he said "Okay, take your time,"

Once in the comforts of her room, she let out a huge sigh and walked into her closet to remove the dirty clothes from her body and place them in the hamper. She quickly went into her shower and washed off as quickly, yet thoroughly as she could before coming out and throwing on the biggest pair of sweat pants she owned and a tank top. When she came back out, she was towel drying her hair and Shizuo was patiently sitting on her couch, scrolling through what looked like the Dollars forum but she couldn't tell. She walked over and took the flowers, "I'm sorry I kept you, let me put these in some water."

She went into the kitchen and got a vase, filled it, cut the stems of the flowers and placed them in it. When she came back out, she removed the towel from her hair and let her long caramel brown hair cascade down her back before taking a seat beside Shizuo.

"Okay, so I was getting ready for our meeting and..."

As she told her story to the blonde bartender, she watched carefully as his shoulders and jaw would tense up, or how he would clench his fists at the mention of Izaya. His face softened when she showed him her wound. Eventually, it hit her. The severity of the event hit her full force, cracking the stone exterior she had around herself. Shizuo's arms were acting on their own when he pulled her close, practically scooping her up to cradle her against his firm chest as tears slid down her cheeks. He enjoyed the feeling, his own hard demeanor cracking at the sight of this fragile young woman. He smoothed down her hair as he held her, listening to her soft whimpers and sniffles. Shizuo couldn't place the feeling at first, but he liked feeling so relaxed compared to feeling indestructible, destructive, and scary to those around him. To hold her like this, without a second thought about hugging too hard or breaking a bone somehow soothed his very soul. He _wasn't_ a monster.

Before they knew it, the day weighed down on their eyelids and they both fell asleep locked in one another's embrace.

A.N: Sorry if there are any errors, I haven't fully finished editing.  
COMMENT, LIKE, and SHARE WITH YOUR PRIESTS.


	7. Chapter 7: Crossfire

Upon waking up and feeling the relief of sleep fade away, Kyoko hadn't fully noticed or processed the fact that Shizuo had slept over, and was cuddled up with her on the couch nonetheless. Her breath hitched in her throat when she turned and came nose to nose with his angelic sleeping face. His breath fanned over her lips, cementing the reality in. Shizuo stirred a little, hugging Kyoko's body closer to his own. The brunette was shell shocked; unsure of what to do, she tried to wiggle her way out. His grip was like iron and there was no escape for the petite woman. She decided to enjoy the moment instead and opted for trying to go back to sleep, remaining curled up with the man she adored. Despite her plan, she couldn't help but admire him a bit more as he slept. This may be the only time this ever happens and she should take advantage of it.

In the midst of her staring, he started to stir a bit more and he began mumbling in his sleep. Kyoko's eyes snapped shut, unsure if he was now awake. When he remained still and relaxed, she knew he must have been talking in his sleep. Shizuo was somewhat awake, but refused to give in and tried to slip back into the darkness beckoning him to welcome the sleep once more. Her eyes reopened, her body now acting on its own as she craned her neck and slowly leaned in to place a small kiss upon his own lips. This was definitely new to the debt-collector and he knew now that he must be dreaming. His lips began to move, trying to deepen the kiss he was sure was part of a wonderful dream, until he heard a small muffled gasp and the pressure of another body pressed against him and beneath his hands. Despite that, they both kept kissing one another, eventually resulting in Shizuo atop the woman with her arms wound around his neck in an effort to keep him there. Shizuo's arm held him up enough to keep himself from smushing her, while the other gripped her waist. His thumb rubbed circles into her hip before trailing down her thigh and behind her knee. He pulled her closer, his mind lost in the moment, every logical thought shoved to the back of his brain. The sound of a soft whimper yanked him from his bliss, making all the thoughts he shoved away come crashing down and dampening his euphoric high. He instantly sat up, looking down at the bashful mess of a woman beneath him. Her hair was sprawled out all around her head like a caramel crown, her lips swollen and red, her chest rising and falling with each hasty breath. To his surprise, she didn't look upset or hurt, rather, disappointed about his absence. "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry I got carried away, I should have stopped myself. Kyoko, I-" The woman pulled herself up onto her elbows, then situated herself to his height and hugged him tightly. "Don't you dare apologize. You could never hurt me, Shizuo." She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, still as red as before. "I enjoyed that," She pulled away and climbed off the couch, "I think that was a wonderful way to start working on your self-control. Don't you?" She teased, looking back at him as she made her way to the kitchen to start making coffee. Although that wasn't her intention with the kiss, she felt she needed to quickly diffuse the tension and awkwardness to come before it set in and ruined the relationship she was working hard to keep. Once alone in the kitchen, she began doing a little dance as her heart soared from the previous scene in her living room.

When he was alone with his thoughts, he gathered them and tried to make sense of all the new information. She was right though; he felt in control of himself and wasn't thinking of how strong he was or if he was hurting her until something else happened. He couldn't help the smile that crept up onto his face at the thought of being in control of himself at a time like that when he feared he wouldn't. He had spent so much of his time worrying about being normal, wondering if he could ever have someone in his life that he wouldn't hurt, at a time like that. His face flushed a light pink at the thought but he quickly shoved it aside and tried to straighten himself out before she came back. When she did, she was equipped with two cups of coffee in hand and sat down on the couch beside him. As she raised the cup to her lips, her doorbell rang and an all too familiar voice chimed from the intercom. "Kyoko! Open up!" Yumi's voice echoed out in the apartment and Kyoko turned to Shizuo apologetically. "I'll be right back," She set her mug down and walked to the hallway and let her best friend inside. "What's up, Yumi?" Yumi stepped inside and set her bag down and removed her shoes, grabbing and putting on a pair of slippers. "I've been calling you, you haven't been answering me! I was worried," Yumi walked into the living room, still ranting until her eyes fell on Shizuo, who was awkwardly seated on the couch.

"Oh, I see." She turned to Kyoko with a devious smile, "Calm down Yumi, my phone got smashed yesterday and I haven't been to the store to replace it. Shizuo was worried too and Stopped by to check up on me." She replied smoothly. Yumi looked between her and Shizuo before sighing and plopping down on the couch beside Shizuo. "Anyway, I came by to check on you. Since you're okay, I wanted to also ask if you wanted to go to the spa with me? You're also invited, Shizuo. You look like you could use some R&R" She smiled, hoping he would say yes. Kyoko let out a small laugh, "I would love to, where do you have in mind?"

Yumi clapped her hands together happily, looking to Shizuo for an answer. "I guess I can come with, but won't it be weird with just me?" He asked, his cheeks threatening to flood with color. "I guess it would be uncomfortable for such a handsome young man to be accompanied by two beautiful women at a hot spring spa. I'll invite another guy, just let me step out and make a few calls."

Yumi knew this probably wasn't her smartest move, but she wanted to see an old friend and catch up with him. She stepped out a pressed the call button, then heard his silky voice respond on the other end. "Hey, I wanted to know if you'd like to meet up and go to the hot springs with Kyoko and me?" They chuckled on the other end and chatted for a moment before hanging up. Yumi smiled to herself and went back inside. "Alright, I've got someone meeting us there. Let's get going before it's too late." Kyoko was already in her room getting ready, Shizuo sipped his coffee and looked around, occasionally making small talk with Yumi as they waited. A few minutes later she reemerged from her room wearing a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt and a bag over her shoulder. "I'm ready, do you need to stop at home for some stuff, Shizuo?" She asked, turning her gaze to him.

He looked up from his ever so interesting coffee mug and set it down as he stood, "Yeah, I can be quick. It's not far from here." He took a step forward, looking between the two. "I can run home and meet you guys at the train station in about 10?" Yumi and Kyoko both nodded, "Yumi and I can stop at the convenience store and get some treats for everyone. Let's go!" She exclaimed.

They all left Kyoko's apartment and Shizuo took off down the street towards his house. "So, spill the tea, what's going on? Are you two a thing now?" Yumi asked as they walked towards the store. Kyoko laughed and held the door open for Yumi, "No, I already told you he came to check up on me. We were supposed to hang out and when I wasn't answering, he stopped by to see what was up." They walked around the store, looking at all the different snacks. "Yeah, but what happened to your phone? Why would he be so worried unless you two had something going on? I mean, you hardly talked throughout high school," she added, picking up a drink and looking it over. "Yeah, but recently we've been running into each other and we make small talk, it's nothing really." Kyoko grabbed a bottle of strawberry milk and wondered what Shizuo would like. She grabbed two, remembering he said something about having a sweet tooth once. They both walked around the store, grabbing snacks at random, "Kyoko Akiba, you are not telling me everything and I am your best friend, you're breaking best friend codes here!" She laughed half-heartedly. "I'll tell you later okay? Let's not spoil a good day with all of my drama. We'll have a sleepover next weekend and I'll tell you literally everything, okay?" Kyoko glanced at her watch, "We should get to the station soon," Yumi cast her a glance, which basically meant, 'you better, or else,' and Kyoko smiled at her. They bought the snacks and hurriedly made their way to the train station just as Shizuo was walking up.

Once all on the train, they sat down together. "So, who did you invite, Yumi?" Kyoko asked, trying to get comfortable in her seat. "It's a surprise!" She smiled, putting her bag in her lap.

The ride wasn't long, but it wasn't a quick one either. By the time they got to the hot spring spa, they were all ready for a long soak in the steamy water to relax their stiff muscles. Upon checking in and getting situated in a room, both Shizuo and Kyoko were extremely curious as to whether or not their mystery guest was actually coming. "Yumi, where is our other guest? I'm dying to know who you brought along!" As if on queue there was a knock on the door and Yumi got all giddy. "I got it!" She yelled, running for the door.

As the door swung open, Kyoko's heart dropped and Shizuo smiled. "Kyohei!" Yumi ran up to him and hugged him, he smiled back at everyone in the room and walked inside to greet them individually. He went for a hug when he reached Kyoko, and she hesitantly reciprocated his greeting with a forced smile. He pulled away and went to talk to Shizuo while Yumi pulled Kyoko into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. "I thought you were over all this, Kyoko?" Yumi asked softly, pulling Kyoko back to reality. "I am, I'm sorry. It's just weird, you know? I'm really not trying to make it weird, I was just shocked." She stumbled over her words, looking into her best friend's eyes. "I get it, I shouldn't have kept it a secret, but I was worried you wouldn't come. I totally understand the shock and I'm sorry too." Kyoko shook her head, "No worries, let's get changed." The two changed into their swimwear and stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping robes around themselves in the process. Yumi tried bot to ask questions when she saw the bandage around Kyoko's thigh "You guys get changed and we'll meet you down there, okay?" Yumi said, walking towards the door with Kyoko in tow. The guys nodded and Kyoko and Yumi left the room.

Once everyone was in the spring, they all let the hot water soothe their very souls. They made conversation here and there but mostly enjoyed the spring in silence. Kyoko sat between Yumi and Shizuo, with Kyohei on the other side of Yumi. Yumi spent the time filling Kyohei in on the past few months and Shizuo kept trying to read Kyoko. He didn't understand her and this morning's events kept creeping back into his mind, making things even more confusing. He glanced over at her, watching as a bead of sweat slid down her temple, to her neck and down to her exposed chest. He gulped and looked away, only to sneak another quick glance to make sure he hadn't been caught staring.

"Kyoko?" Shizuo asked, watching as she opened her eyes and sat up a little more to at least look in his direction. "Yes?" she smiled. "Can I talk to you for a second, someplace else?" She sat up fully and nodded, "Sure. Let me grab my robe and you lead the way." They both stood from the spring and got out completely unnoticed by the other two.

He led Kyoko out into a secluded hallway and pulled her aside, "I really don't know how to go about explaining any of this, so I'm just going to say it." He looked at Kyoko for reassurance before continuing, his heart was racing and the fear and anxiety of the situation was starting to eat at him from the inside out, "That party Shinra threw in high school, where they played seven minutes in heaven..." he bit his lip nervously, mentally convincing himself to keep going, "I saw you go in and I tried to make my way up there to be the one to join you inside... I wanted to confess my feelings to you" he rushed the last sentence out, worrying he'd chicken out at the last second. He looked Kyoko over, trying to read her but to no avail. "Shizuo, I had no idea," her face bloomed a brilliant red, for once she was speechless. This worried Shizuo, making him panic internally. "I must admit, I had a crush on you back then too," she looked down at the floor, fiddling with the fabric of the robe. Shizuo's mouth fell agape, but he quickly recovered and rubbed the back of his head nervously. Their eyes finally met, their faces betraying them both. Izaya's voice rang out in her head, annoying her. "Do you want to sit and talk some more? We can head back to the spring and enjoy it a little more," she suggested. Shizuo nodded and they went back to the spring, the other pair still locked in conversation.

When Kyoko stepped back in, Shizuo followed and sat beside her. The pair talked for what seemed like hours, the air around them seemed to change into one of familiarity. The shy personas went as they talked about practically anything. Yumi was the one to break their hypnotic trance and told them how late it was. Kyoko and Yumi had classes the following morning, so when they all got off the train, Shizuo walked Kyoko home and Kyohei walked Yumi home. This time, their walk was a comfortable silence. Upon reaching her apartment, Shizuo faced her and leaned down to peck her cheek. "Goodnight, Kyoko. I had a great time today," Kyoko blushed, "Goodnight, Shizuo. I did as well. Get home safely." She walked into her apartment and removed her shoes, her heart on cloud nine. When she set her things down and walked into her bedroom she felt the presence of someone. She remained calm and pretended not to notice as she walked into her bathroom to turn on the bath. She walked back into her bedroom and tried to see where they were in the dimly lit room without letting on. She stood near her closet and started removing her clothes, showing she was "vulnerable " it was then she figured out where the person was.

The moment they reached for her, she spun around and knocked the blade from their hand, flipping them over her shoulder in an instant and straddled them to the floor with their own blade to their throat.

"Izaya?"

Said man looked a little too pleased with the situation and simply smiled up at her. She released him and he flipped their positions, pinning her with his blade to her throat. "Since when are you capable of hand to hand combat?" He asked, still straddling her.

Kyoko sighed and quickly disarmed him, flipping the blade shut. "Since my father became part of the Yakuza." She replied nonchalantly. Izaya remained still, looking to see if she was lying. "Are you going to get off of me?" She asked. Izaya cocked an eyebrow, to which Kyoko once again flipped their positions and stood up from the floor. She offered him a hand but he refused and stood up on his own. Kyoko remembered the bath and quickly went into the bathroom to shut the water off. "Why are you here?" She asked, pulling a robe over herself. "I wanted to check up on you, and I saw you with Shizuo." His voice turned her stomach, sending chills throughout her body.

"Yumi planned a get-together and I had no idea who was coming," she lied. "What was I supposed to do? Not go? As if. I needed a mini-vacation from your nonsense." She added with a small laugh, hoping he'd buy it.

He was becoming a bit easier to read, but she couldn't predict how he'd react. He sighed and rubbed his temples, "You're such a handful. Nonetheless, I need to remind you of who you work for." He smirked devilishly, "you can expect a punishment of sorts when you come in tomorrow. Have a good evening, Ms. Akiba."

He walked out of the room and the sound of her front door shutting and locking echoed in the otherwise empty apartment. Kyoko sighed, not sure what to expect.

The next morning her classes were canceled so she went straight to Izaya's with all of her school work and supplies handy in case she got bored. When she arrived, Izaya seemed to be home, his fur jacket thrown on the couch, but he was nowhere to be seen. Kyoko tossed her things down on the couch and walked over to a stack of files on Izaya's desk and sat down in his chair. She flipped through a few, skimming through the information. Nothing particular caught her attention, so she closed them and spun in his chair, Izaya himself catching her by surprise when she turned in the chair. "Why are you here so early, don't you have classes?" He asked, looking down at her. "They were canceled, so I came here." She replied casually. She couldn't help but stare for a moment; he was shirtless and a towel was hanging loosely around his neck. Izaya noticed her staring and smirked, "Have you no shame?" He teased, making her blush and look away.  
Izaya watched as she sat in his chair blushing, trying to compose herself. Kyoko mentally cursed herself, recalling her and Shizuo's conversation the evening prior. She felt a pang of guilt, looking back at Izaya, she recalled her previous plans and the reason she was doing this. It still felt wrong, but she also knew she felt attracted to Izaya, oddly enough. She sighed, turning once more to face the large window. She stood in front of it now, placing her hand on the glass, her thoughts traveling to Shizuo and what he may be doing.

Izaya didn't like the frown on her face, wondering what could be troubling her so much. He walked up behind her and took her waist in his hands, pulling her back to his chest. "Wh-what are you doing?" She was monetarily surprised when he craned down to wrap his lips around a section of her neck. "I told you I'd punish you, didn't I?" He asked, pulling his mouth away. Kyoko's face reached a million degrees easily, nowhere near prepared for this kind of behavior initiated by him. She quickly composed herself and relaxed, waiting to see what he would do next. His jealousy was besting him, the thought that Shizuo was so close to her, he felt territorial.

He spun her around and pushed her up against the giant glass window, looking deeply into her eyes. Kyoko felt somewhat exposed to him in this instance, her adrenaline pumping. Her head was spinning with every thought and emotion, the ever so shy submissive side of her caving just a smidge as Izaya loomed over her. She tried to remember her plan, she tried to focus, but her heart was pounding in her ears, her thoughts all scrambled and her body responding without her brain. Izaya could see the conflict in her eyes, he could tell he was pushing some kind of boundary and he loved it. He felt he was getting closer to figuring out how to break the woman before him. His hands trailed her body, his eyes locked onto hers in case there was any change in emotion. Her body would tense in certain areas; he traveled back up, his fingers gently gripping her jaw. "I can see the turmoil seeping out of you, Kyoko. Whatever is the matter?" He mocked her, a small smirk tugging at his lips. Kyoko was fighting to keep her willpower intact, but all it took was Izaya's sweet lips brushing against hers and she was eating out of the palm of his hand. She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his, her arms circling his neck instantly.

The sound of thunder clapped through the sky as Izaya spun them around once more, pushing Kyoko up against his desk, her legs wrapping around his waist. Kyoko whimpered against his lips as he ripped her arms from his neck, instantaneously tearing her blouse open, the buttons flying all over the room. Their foreheads met as they stared into one another's eyes, both panting softly. Izaya's eyes swallowed the scene before him, the way her chest rose and fell with each ragged breath. She went to lean back in, but Izaya placed his finger to her lips with an evil grin. He pulled his switchblade from his pocket and flipped it open, slowly sliding it up Kyoko's thigh and under the hem of her pencil skirt. At an agonizingly slow pace, he cut through the fabric and watched as Kyoko squirmed before him. He could almost laugh right in her face, but he held back and continued to bask in her lack of self-control. Thunder clapped again and lightning illuminated the now dark sky, making Kyoko jump a little.

Growing frustrated, she groaned and yanked the knife up the rest of her skirt before her senses would come crashing down on her. Izaya chuckled and pinned her to the desk harshly, stealing the very breath from her lungs. Kyoko looked up at him, the little lamb before now gone as the lioness scratched at the surface. She went to fight back, but Izaya pulled away entirely and shut the blade and set it back in his pocket before plopping down in his chair, yanking Kyoko into his lap by the back of her knees before she could move a muscle.

Startled, she grabbed hold of his shoulders, looking down into his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak when the doorbell rang. Izaya rolled his eyes and picked Kyoko up, walking her upstairs to a bedroom. "Stay here," He demanded. Kyoko sat on the bed, baffled. With a huff of frustration, she got up and rummaged through the closet, soon realizing she was in Izaya's room. She found one of his long-sleeved shirts and pulled it on over her head, then stealthily left the room to peek over the railing to see who was here. She saw her father sitting in the living room and just about fainted.

She wanted to hear what they were talking about, but they spoke softly to one another as if Izaya knew she would try and eavesdrop. On queue with her thoughts, Izaya turned to glance towards the loft. Kyoko quickly hid behind an armchair and crawled back into the room and quietly shut the door. She plopped down on the bed and held onto a pillow, wondering why her father was all of a sudden involved with Izaya. She could only think of one reason, and that was that Izaya was meddling and she needed to find out why.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed more of Kyoko's shenanigans! I know it's a bit crazy right now, but that's the point. Little bit of a cliffhanger, I know. But I had to! Anywho~ What do you think Izaya is up to? And what's with Kyohei and Kyoko?! Let me know down in the comments! Also, I have not gone in and edited yet, so if you see any errors, feel free to let me know.


	8. Chapter 8:What Goes Around, Comes Around

Kyoko laid on her belly on Izaya's bed reading a book she found, waiting patiently for what seemed like hours. Eventually, she heard the front door open and shut and it went silent. She paid no mind, already immersed in the book before her. Her legs were up in the air, swaying side to side.

After Izaya shut the door and locked it, he quietly made his way up the stairs and back to his bedroom, he slowly opened the door, hoping Kyoko wouldn't chuck something at his head. Instead, he was surprised to see her laying in his enormous bed, which seemed to swallow her tiny figure up. He walked into the room fully and reached for Kyoko, and in an instant she had flipped over and yanked him onto the bed, pinning him to it. "You're not as sneaky as you think, Izaya." She laughed and released his wrists when she took a good look at his stoic face. "The more you pretend you're nothing like a human, the more human you seem," She said, getting off of him completely and sliding off of the bed. Izaya sat up and glared at her, pausing to take in her appearance. "Are you wearing my shirt?" he asked. Having struck a nerve, Kyoko casually made her way to the door, preparing to completely run out of there. As soon as Izaya caught on, he lunged for her.

Kyoko swung the door open and went straight for the railing, hopping over it without a second thought. She hit the ground pretty hard but landed on her feet in a crouch nonetheless. She darted towards the large couch and hopped over that, just as Izaya caught up she whipped around and instinctively went to punch him in the face. He narrowly missed her flying fist and grabbed her arm, flipping her over the couch and landing above her. "You're quick, I'll give you that, but you're not keeping my shirt." He stated firmly. Kyoko kneed him where the sun doesn't shine and shoved him off, rolling off the couch in the process. When he sat up, Kyoko was on the other side of his coffee table, pulling the hem of the shirt up just a little. "You want me to take it off?" She said softly, feigning a pout. Izaya froze, his fingers digging into the couch. She lifted the shirt a little higher, revealing her lacey black panties. She was mentally cheering as she looked at the turmoil in _his_ eyes. She bit her bottom lip and dropped the hem of the shirt, covering herself back up. Without hesitation, she slid her arms into the shirt and removed her matching lace black bra. _"Now I have you eating out of the palm of __my __hand!"_ she thought triumphantly. She tossed the bra in his direction and it landed right next to him. "Are you sure you want your shirt back? What am I supposed to do when you've torn my clothes from my body?" She teased, watching as he clenched his jaw.

"Kyoko-" he paused, watching as she quickly snatched up his fur jacket and pulled it onto her body. He didn't even notice her remove the shirt from underneath until it landed in his lap. "Hmm, that feels much better." He looked back up at her as she slowly pulled the zipper of the jacket dangerously low, revealing a sliver of her chest. Completely unprepared, Izaya sat there momentarily as his humanity lay in the open for Kyoko, proving her right. This made him angry, he was nothing like these pesky humans. He tried to convince himself, but every time he looked at Kyoko it seemed to wash away like footprints in the sand. He averted his gaze, his senses coming back to him. "You need to leave." He stated coldly. "Seriously?" She asked, taking a seat in one of the armchairs and dangling her legs over the armrest. "How do you suppose I get home when you tore my clothes up?" She asked, still keeping up the act. Izaya looked over at her, his jaw so tight he could crush bone. "I don't care how you get home, it's not my problem." He growled. Kyoko scoffed, "It's not my fault you ripped them," She marched over to him and shoved past him to snatch up her bra, making her way back upstairs and into his bedroom. She angrily flung open his closet once more and looked through all of his clothes. Finally, coming across a pair of cinched sweatpants, she pulled them on and put her bra back on, pulling yet another one of his long sleeve shirts back on and walked out of the closet, leaving it a disaster zone. She walked back downstairs and grabbed her things, all while Izaya stared at the floor. Upon reaching the door she turned to him, "You're more of a monster than a human, I didn't mean to flatter your ego before." She spat, slamming the door behind her. Izaya finally looked up after she left, sighing and looking around the penthouse. Everywhere he looked, he saw her. On his desk, he could envision her pinned as the events from before played back in his mind. Towards the kitchen, he saw her standing there. His eyes darted to the spot she stood only minutes before, her seductive figure flashed in his mind. He groaned and angrily stood, flipping the coffee table in the process. "Goddammit!" He yelled, storming out of the penthouse.

Kyoko had decided to walk home to clear her head. It would be far, but she would manage. It was about mid-day by now and the rain had stopped, so the dewy, earthy smell lingered all around the city. She loved that smell, and the cooler air was refreshing. During her walk, she concluded that Izaya might be catching on and she needed to make her move soon; before all her biggest fears were a reality. She also mentally cursed herself for allowing herself to get wrapped up in her own game, almost believing that Izaya could be interested in her. She rolled her eyes at the thought, wondering how she could be so naive. As she got closer to home, she could feel her legs just begging to stop. She stopped at the nearby convenience store and got herself something to eat, not feeling up to cooking. She also found herself binging and throwing all kinds of junk food into her basket until it was full. She sighed and went to check out, trying to convince herself that he wasn't even worth her anger. He was probably off somewhere screwing with another person's life.

Upon walking into her apartment, Momo came up and greeted her, rubbing up against her legs and meowing. Kyoko smiled and set all of her things down before walking into her bedroom and plopping down on her bed with her haul of snacks. Momo joined her as she turned on her massive TV and flipped through the channels. Her frustration died down a lot as Momo cuddled up with her and she munched on junk food. After a while, she received a text message from Shizuo.

_"Hey, how are you?"_

She smiled upon reading it, her heart fluttering momentarily,_ "I'm doing great now that you're talking to me. I've had a rough morning. What about you?"_ She replied with a goofy smile. A few minutes later her phone dinged and she nearly jumped out of her skin with excitement.

_"I can say the same thing, what ruined your morning?" _

Kyoko quickly typed her response, _"A certain troll from Shinjuku, and you?"_

Shizuo responded quickly after receiving the text, _"I figured as much. I just had some kids try and start a huge fight this morning. It wasn't fun" _

Before she could type her reply, another text came in from him. _"Speaking of, I'll talk to you later, he just showed up..." _

Kyoko sighed and didn't reply. She tossed her phone down and yawned, feeling tired. She got up and gathered her snacks and brought them to the kitchen to put them away. When she walked back to her bedroom she climbed back into bed and cuddled with Momo before her eyes became heavy and they slowly shut, welcoming sleep.

When she woke up, the room was dark and her eyes took a moment to adjust. She rubbed her eyes and swiped her hand around the bed to find her phone. When she did, the light made her squint until the time appeared before her eyes. It was around 6 pm and she had a missed call from Shizuo just a few minutes ago. She sat up and dialed his number, "Hey Shizuo, what's up?" Her voice was raspy from sleep.

"I need your help, Kyoko. I'm outside." He didn't sound like himself and she bolted up when he said he was outside. She tossed her phone down and ran to her front door, ripping it open. Shizuo sat slumped on the floor, beaten and bloody. Kyoko quickly helped him inside and to an area where she could see his wounds. "What happened? " she rushed to her kitchen to get her first aid kit and ran back to Shizuo. "I got into it with Izaya, he was serious today. He looks as bad as I do, to say the least." He struggled to sit up and Kyoko removed what was left of his shirt and started tending to every little cut and bruise. After Kyoko finished up and helped him to the couch she put the kit away and came back to him with some tea. "How are you feeling? Do you want any pain medication?" a look of concern sketched into her face. Shizuo took a sip of the tea and set it down, "No, I'm not in any pain. Thank you though,"

Kyoko sipped her tea as well, knowing full well why Izaya was in such a mood and she frowned. "Shizuo, I have to tell you something..." She trailed off, looking him in the eyes. "Hmm?" He picked up his cup and sipped his drink, feeling it calm his nerves. She desperately wanted to tell him everything that's been going on with Izaya, her dad, her job. The lump in her throat grew larger as she stared at him longer. "I-" She paused, wondering if telling him would ruin their relationship. Shizuo's honey-colored eyes gleamed back at her with anticipation. "I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me and it hurts me to see you all beaten and bloody." She caved and decided to let herself be selfish. She just started this beautiful relationship and she didn't want to lose him. Her cheeks grew warm at her thoughts, Shizuo's flooding with pigment as well.

"Kyoko, can I ask you something?" his face still warm from embarrassment. She nodded, desperate to change the topic. "May I kiss you?" He looked between her eyes and his cup before placing the mug down on the coffee table, anxiously awaiting her answer.

She placed her mug down beside his and scooted closer to him, silently answering him.

Shizuo slowly reached up and cupped her face in his hands, gently stroking her cheek before leaning down and placing his lips upon hers.

The kiss was slow and sweet, both individuals savoring each little peck and indulging in the bliss of the moment. Kyoko's arms found a way around Shizuo, pulling him to her body in a tight embrace, their lips never parting.

All of her troubles seemed to melt away as he fondly embraced her in return. When her fingers found a way into Shizuo's hair, he moaned, shocking them both.

When they pulled apart for air they rested their foreheads against one another and stared into each other's eyes. Kyoko leaned back in and trailed kisses from his neck to his jaw, her hand trailing up and down his chest as she fumbled to unbutton his vest and shirt. She continued to kiss from his jaw to his lips before caressing his chest. She could feel his chest rumble as he groaned and she smiled into their kiss.

Shizuo pulled Kyoko into his lap, her legs on either side of his hips as she straddled him. The pair continued to make out passionately on her couch, each of them testing the boundaries with themselves.

When Kyoko could feel a sudden bulge poking her thigh, she slowly pulled back and looked the man in the eyes. "D-Do you want to stop?" She asked hesitantly. They both softly panted in the silence as Shizuo seemed to be having an internal debate.

"We can stop if you want," She reassured him. He gently shifted them into a different position before standing up and carrying her to her bedroom.

Once inside, he placed Kyoko on the bed and slowly started removing his clothes. Kyoko's face resembled a tomato, but she started to follow his lead. She sat on her knees and started disrobing before him, never breaking eye contact with him.

This seemed to quell both of their anxiety and nervousness, the subtlety of the action only intensified the intimacy between them both. When they were both down to their undergarments, Kyoko shimmied to the end of the bed and took Shizuo's hand, pulling him to the bed. She slowly hooked her fingers into the waistband of his briefs and began to pull them down. Her shaky hands trailed back up to his chest and she leaned over to place kisses on his chest and abdomen. Shizuo shivered and softly moaned. "Kyoko..." His voice echoed out softly in the room, pulling her eyes to his as she sat up straight.

Shizuo smiled at her and placed his knee on the bed, gently pushing her back to lay on the bed. He crawled up the length of her body, his girth caressing her thigh when he loomed over her fully. He pulled the straps of her bra down to her elbows and reached behind her to quickly unhook it in the back. He tossed it to the side somewhere as he used both hands to slide her panties down her soft legs. He sat up, admiring the goddess before him.

Kyoko blushed, refusing the urge to cover her body as he eyed her up and down.

"Kyoko, you are absolutely stunning," He spoke tenderly, leaning back down to trail kisses up her body to her breasts and finally reaching her lips once again.

As their lips danced with urgency, Shizuo slid his free hand down her smooth body and stopped at her womanhood. His two fingers slowly started stroking her, making her moan out loudly in surprise and pleasure. Her fingers locked in Shizuo's hair as he pulled back to start kissing her neck and collarbones. Kyoko's hips started rocking back and forth, silently begging him for more. He softly nipped at her neck, tempted to start sucking at the tender flesh.

"Shizuo" She moaned greedily as he obliged. As soon as he heard his name roll off her tongue so seductively, something within him flipped like a switch. His fingers became a little more urgent and Kyoko's moans became louder. He pulled his hand away and positioned himself in-between her legs, looking into her eyes for reassurance before he continued. When she nodded, he slowly started sliding himself inside her, making sure to watch her expression as he did.

Her face twisted into an expression of pain but as quickly as it came, it was gone and replaced with one of pleasure. He was patient as he slid all the way in, making sure not to hurt Kyoko. When he was fully sheathed inside her, he started to move his hips back and forth at a slow and steady pace. The tight heat embraced his every movement, making him want to release right then and there. He looked down at Kyoko and their eyes met, making him even more aroused. When he started to move faster, her eyes rolled back and shut, "Ah- Sh-Shizuo," She moaned melodically. He increased his speed more, leaning down to continue his earlier attack on her neck. He grunted with each thrust, trying to contain himself as long as possible.

Kyoko arched her back when he thrust into her even faster, her body overcome with pleasure. "Kyoko, y-yo-you feel so good," He moaned into her ear, causing a shiver to ripple down her spine. Her nails dug into his back, "H-Harder, Shizuo," She moaned out in between each pant for breath.

The blonde happily indulged her and the loud slap of skin against skin echoed out in the room, quickly getting lost in the sounds of the pair moaning and calling out one another's name.

Growing tired, Shizuo quickly pulled Kyoko up with him and into his lap as he sat up and Kyoko pushed him onto his back before she started riding him. It was his turn to throw his head back in bliss with the rise and fall of her hips. His erection ached with each move she made, he gripped her waist as she bounced up and down on his girth. He was hitting much deeper in this position and Kyoko was dripping wet, her breath continuously getting caught in her throat as she moaned out loud. His name rolling off her tongue when he'd raise his hips and go even deeper. She began to tighten even more around him, making him curse out loud. He reached around and gripped onto her rear, thrusting into her even more as she bounced up and down. His erection throbbed and Kyoko could feel her climax coming.

"Shi-Shiz-Shizuo, I'm c-cumming!" She called out, bracing her hands on his chest. She squeezed down on him, making him throw his head back and release inside her, climaxing along with her.

Kyoko pulled herself off of him and collapsed beside him on the bed. Both panting and trying to regain composure, their bodies glistening in the moonlit room. Kyoko sat up and quickly left the room. Shizuo hardly noticed, his head was spinning and his ears were ringing. She returned a moment later with a large glass of water. She took a gulp and handed it to Shizuo.

He slowly sat up and took a gulp himself before setting it down on the bedside table. "I'm going to wash off in the shower, do you want to join me?" She asked him timidly. Shizuo nodded and followed her into her bathroom.

She turned it on and waited for the water to warm up before stepping in and letting the hot water run down her body. Shizuo couldn't help but stare at her glorious body in the light. He felt his still throbbing manhood twitch at the thought as he stepped in with her. He leaned down to her ear and placed his hands on her waist, softly nibbling on it as the water now ran down his body. "You truly are breathtaking, Kyoko," He softly whispered.

Kyoko shivered and turned to face him, "You keep talking to me like that and I'll want to keep you here," She teased, reaching for her loofa and applying soap to it. They switched positions so Shizuo could stand under the water and Kyoko lathered her body in soap. "Is that really a bad thing?" He asked after a moment of silence.

Kyoko laughed and blew soap bubbles at him, switching with him once again to rinse off. Shizuo lathered up the soap in his hands before washing himself off. Once Kyoko rinsed off, she wrapped her arms around Shizuo's waist from behind and felt his abdomen up while he rinsed off in the water. Shizuo could feel excitement flowing through his body at her touch. He turned with her arms still around him and bent down to scoop her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. He pushed her back against the shower wall and kissed her passionately, loving the feeling of her naked body against his.

When they pulled away for air, he set Kyoko down and looking into her eyes before he kissed the top of her head.

They both got out after turning the water off and dried off, Kyoko pulling on her robe shortly after. Shizuo wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back into her bedroom, shoving his hair back with his hand.

Kyoko yawned and walked into the closet, pulling on her baby pink silk pajama shorts and matching tank top. Shizuo gulped when he saw what she was wearing, then began looking for his clothes.

"I took them and put them in the washer, I have some sweatpants that might fit you." She said sheepishly. Shizuo cocked a brow, "Why would you have sweatpants that large?" He looked down his body, and up Kyoko's, making her laugh.

"Well for one, I love oversized clothes and two, I borrowed them from my brother once. He's your height and about your build." She retorted, eyeing him up and down with a small smirk on her face.

She dug around in the closet and pulled them out, walking over and handing them to him. He said thank you and finished drying off before slipping them on.

Kyoko plopped back down in the bed and got under the covers, patting the spot beside her. Shizuo walked over and crawled into the bed with her.

They both laid down and stared up at the ceiling. "Kyoko?" He turned to look at her, smiling when she faced him.

"Yes?"

Shizuo bit his lip and took a deep breath, "Tonight was absolutely amazing," he smiled, a blush creeping up to his face.

Kyoko mirrored him, trying to find the right words to say. "I'd have to agree with you," she smiled and pulled the sheets over her head.

Shizuo chuckled and started tickiling her and Momo came running to her defense. She nipped at Shizuo's hand, then licked it when he stopped. Kyoko calmed her laughter and settled down in the sheets. Her eyelids slowly becoming heavier and heavier before the darkness enveloped her.

Shizuo noticed she fell asleep moments later when Momo ran off, he too settled into the bed and began dozing off.

The following morning, Kyoko bolted up after stirring from her sleep, suddenly realizing she hadn't set an alarm and was possibly very late for school. She frantically looked around for her phone, finding it on the floor and nearly dead. The time was still surprisingly early, which she was thankful for. She glanced around, noticing Shizuo soundly sleeping beside her. She smiled as the events of the prior evening came back to her, making her face flush. Shizuo Heiwajima had taken her virginity. She slowly got out of bed and debated whether or not she actually wanted to go to her classes today. She decided it would be bad to skip and quietly walked into her closet to start getting ready.

She pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans and slipped into them, accompanied with a fitted pink v-neck, and lastly a black leather jacket. She dug around for some socks and slid her feet in before exiting her closet and gathering her school bag and other things.

She quickly ate some fruit for breakfast and scribbled a note for Shizuo along with a spare key to lock her place up if he left.

After that she fed Momo and walked to the door with her things, pulling on her shoes quickly and finally left the apartment.

She breathed in the brisk morning air and smiled "Today is going to be great," and with that she descended the stairs and made her way to the university by foot.

A.N: I really hope you enjoyed, I have not gone back in and edited yet. Let me know what you thought of the smutty scene. I'm a bit rusty.


End file.
